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By Ethel McConnell Bartindale 

Historian of the McConnell Family, 1922-1923 





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Oxford, Indiana, 
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By Ethel McConnell Bartindale 

Historian of the McConnell Family, 1922-1923 

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Oxford, Indiana, 
19 2 3 


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KEY TO MARKINGS 

1st generation, Hugh McConnell. 

2nd generation marked with large Roman 
numerals, I, II, etc. 

3rd generation marked with numbers 1, 2, 
3, etc. 

4th generation marked with capital letters, 
A, B, C, etc. 

5th generation marked with small Roman 
numerals, i, ii, iii, iv, etc. 

6th generation marked with letters, a, b, c, 
etc. 

7th generation marked with a star (*). 








DEDICATION 


To the memory of the past genera¬ 
tions of the McConnell family and to 
the honor and integrity of the pres¬ 
ent and future generations these rec¬ 
ords are lovingly and respectfully 
dedicated. 

Ethel McConnell Bartindale 

Historian for the McConnell Family, 

1922-1923 









the McConnell family history 


5 


PREAMBLE 


There is a tradition which runs as follows: In the early 
days in Scotland the clans were at war; the battle was being 
waged fiercely and was about to be lost, when a clan leader, to 
urge forward his clansmen, sprang forth with the cry, “Make 
on well! Make on well!” The wotds, as he spoke them, sound¬ 
ed thus: “Mack on 611/’ The clansmen were thus inspired to 
renew their vigor, and, as a result, the battle was won. 

So popular did the slogan “Make on well” become that it 
was adopted by the clan both as its motto and name, the words 
of the name being first abbreviated into “Mack Connell” and 
finally “McConnell.” 

This name our forefathers bore proudly, and strove to keep 
above the sordid, grosser things of life; it is therefore for us, 
their descendants, to “carry on” equally as well as did they, and 
like them to “make on well” in every circumstance of life. 

The clan spirit was strong in our forebears and has held 
firm through the generations; but gradually time and circum¬ 
stance are scattering us to the four corners of the States until 
today the name “McConnell,” which not many years ago was 
borne by the majority of Oxford’s citizens, is borne by but eigh¬ 
teen (18) living persons in this locality. 

The family is true in nature to its blood, being a happy 
mixture of seriousness on the Scotch side of their descent, and 
of fun from the Irish race with which the Scotchmen inter-mar¬ 
ried prior to their coming to America. 

There are no noted nor very wealthy persons among our 
number, neither are there any very poor or shiftless persons. 
We are wholly free from mentally deficient and criminally mind¬ 
ed persons, and we are a people who strive for the finer qualities 
and for the intellectual advancement. Through the years our 
men have been busy working for, educating, enjoying and being 
kind to their families; and our women have filled their time 


6 


the McConnell family history 


making home-like homes, keeping busy with the work of the 
church, and mothering orphans. 

Most of our forefathers have been tillers of the soil; a 
sturdy, clean minded people; mostly of the Presbyterian faith, 
and members of the Democratic political party; men and women 
with a full purpose in life and a deep and abiding reverence 
for and trust in the Almighty. 

* * * * 

The first authentic record we have of the McConnell family 
is, that in, or near, the year 1730, they, in company with two 
other Scotch-Irish families, the Youngs and Setlingtons, emi¬ 
grated from northern Ireland to America, settling at the town 
of New Castle, in New Castle County, the northern most county 
of what is now the state of Delaware. 

The first persons of whom we have special knowledge are 
two brothers, James and Hugh McConnell. Of James we know 
little except that he married a girl named Jane Jolly and settled 
in Delaware. 

Hugh, from whom we are descended, was born in 1756. 
Being of a more adventurous spirit than his brother James, he 
enlisted March 1, 1777, when twenty-one years of age, as a pri¬ 
vate in Capt. Samuel Mason’s Company and Col. David Shep¬ 
herd’s Regiment of Virginia Militia. He served through the 
entire Revolutionary War, and took part in the Indian Wars, 
which followed the war for Independence. 

It was while doing duty with a scouting party out of Fort 
Wheeler, near Wheeling, West Virginia, that he was shot 
through the lung by one of Simon Girty’s band of cut-throat In¬ 
dians. Almost the entire party was annihilated, those who sur¬ 
vived being forced to make their escape by dashing through the 
open for the fort under full fire of the Indians. Hugh was among 
those to make this dash, and it was the running at top speed, the 
doctor told him, which saved his life, for thereby the blood was 
kept from coagulating in the lung (which would have caused 
death) until he could be given medical aid. 

When the wars were all over Hugh located in Virginia, and 
it was there he met and married in 1785 Elizabeth Jolly, sister 
to Jane Jolly, the girl whom his brother James, married. Eliza¬ 
beth was born in Pennsylvania in 1765. 


the McConnell family history 


7 


From Virginia Hugh and Elizabeth moved to Ohio county, 
West Virginia; this county is in the northwestern part of the 
state, Ohio bounding it on the west and Pennsylvania on the 
east. Wheeling, where Hugh was wounded in the Indian wars, 
is the county seat. While living here four children were born 
to Hugh and Elizabeth—James, John, David and Samuel. 

In 1801 they moved to Ross county, Ohio (in the central 
southern part of the state), where for thirteen years they farmed 
on shares on land owned by Gen. Massey. 

The next move was in 1814 to Highland county, Ohio, 
which adjoins Ross county on the southwest. They remained 
in Highland county for fifteen years. 

During their twenty-eight years’ stay in Ohio, the remainder 
of their twelve children were born. They were: Elizabeth, Mar¬ 
tha, Esther (called Hettie), William, Hugh and Thomas. Of the 
two not mentioned I have not been able to secure any trace, but 
it is probable they died in infancy. 

When the War of 1812 broke out the three older boys, 
James, John and David, aged respectively 23, 21 and 20 years, 
enlisted and served throughout the war, enduring bravely, with 
their comrades, all the hazards and hardships of that war. Upon 
their return they married and set up their homes, James and 
John in Highland county, David in Adams county, on the Ohio 
River. 

In the spring of 1828 the desire to move on seized the ad¬ 
venturous Hugh, and he and his son, David, pushed Westward 
and settled in Fountain county, Indiana, at the point where 
Covington is now located. The remainder of the family was 
then sent for and came traveling in one large company. Shortly 
after their arrival they pushed on up the Wabash River about a 
mile and located on the opposite shore. It was here that Jack- 
son D. McConnell was born to David and Polly McConnell. 

It was here also that occurred the death of our first known 
ancestor, Hugh. He died in 1835 when seventy-nine years 
of age. It is not known what caused his death, nor is the identical 
spot where he was laid to rest known, but this we do know, 
that it was in or near Covington, Indiana. 

What I have recounted of him is all that is remembered of 
him as the story of his life has been handed down. In disposi- 


8 


the McConnell family history 


tion he was a kindly man; he was adventurous, and therefore 
brave; he was a tiller of the soil, and, as an early sketch says of 
him, “he was from early life a consistent Presbyterian.” 

In speaking of his religious nature, Marion McConnell, his 
grandson, has said that while it was a delight to visit his grand¬ 
parents on week days he dreaded making a visit to them on the 
Sabbath Day, for they were so very strict that they would not 
permit one on that day to whistle, whittle, play marbles or jump. 

His wife, Elizabeth, lived seven years after her husband’s 

death. With her children she came to Warren county, and 
later to White Oak Grove, Benton county, and died here Nov. 
3, 1842, aged 77 years, 4 months and 20 days; she is buried in 
the Justus cemetery in a row with five of her sons, James, John, 
David, Samuel and Hugh, and her daughter, Esther (Hettie), 
lies but a few feet from her. 

In the year 1831, David McConnell, who had left Fountain 
county, brought his family and settled in Warren county, 
Indiana, near the Cranberry Marsh, at Pond Grove. J. W. 
Whicker of Attica, a local historian of dependability, thinks, 
however, that he did not come directly to Pond Grove. He 
gives as authority for this belief Luke Hagle and Judge Durgan, 
father of Mayor George Durgan of Lafayette; and he states that 
“after leaving Fountain county, David followed the Wabash 
River to a point where West Point, Tippecanoe county, is now 
located and stopped there for a time.” For how long a time is 
not known, but it seems to have been of long enough duration 
to justify Mr. Whicker in thinking that he lived there. Then, 
it is thought, following the Wabash as far as Black Rock he 
left the River, and struck across country, bringing up at Pond 
Grove, Warren county. 

While living here a number of his wife’s family, including 
her mother, died, and were buried on the land where they lived— 
an early custom prior to the days of regular cemeteries. There 
were originally about forty graves, including those of other 
pioneers, in this little burying ground, I have been told, but the 
plot has been encroached upon from time to time until the en¬ 
closure in now only about twenty feet square. Those known to 
be buried there are Keziah Baldwin Moore, mother, and Wm. 
J. and Frank B. Newell, relatives, of Mrs. David McConnell. 


the McConnell family history 


9 


The little cemetery is located on a farm owned by Mrs. Sam 
Lamb of Boswell, and is near Armstrong chapel. 

In 1835 David McConnell came to White Oak Grove, Ben¬ 
ton county, and shortly after, his brothers and sisters, hearing 
from him of the splendid merits of this country, left Fountain 
county and took up their residences here. Samuel, James, Wil¬ 
liam, Hugh and Thomas settled at a grove five miles southwest 
of the present site of Oxford. Four of these brothers were un¬ 
married and one was a widower, so the settlement was called 
“Bachelor’s Point.” 

From this date we will deal separately with each descendant 
of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell according to families. 


10 


the McConnell family history 


l james McConnell 


Eldest child of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was 
born in Ohio county, West Virginia, October 1, 1789. He en¬ 
tered the War of 1812 when twenty-three years of age, and a 
pair of epaulets of his now in possession of his grandson, Olen 
McConnell, show that through valorous service done he was 
raised to the rank of officer, but of just what rank is not known. 

March 27, 1820, he was married to Mary Buchanan, and 
during their residence in Highland county, Ohio, two children, 
Emily and Hugh, were born to them. Mrs. McConnell died in 
that county and state April 12, 1822, and was buried there. 

Mr. McConnell did not marry again, but with the rest of his 
father’s family, came to Indiana in 1828, first settling in Foun¬ 
tain county then in Benton county. 

He bought land five miles southwest of what is now Oxford, 
and engaged in farming. It was at this place that his death 
occurred March 11, 1840. Interment was made in the Justus 
cemetery, Oxford, beside his mother. 

Following are the children of James and Mary (Buchanan) 
McConnell: 

(1) Emily McConnell was born in Highland county, Ohio, 
March 6, 1820, and must have died near Covington, Fountain 
county, as her death occurred August 22, 1834, during the fam¬ 
ily’s residence there. 

(2) Hugh McConnell, son of James and Mary (Buchanan) 
McConnell, and best known as “Little Hugh,” was born in High¬ 
land county, Ohio, Feb. 3, 1822. With his father he came to 
Indiana, settling first in Fountain county and then in Benton 
county. 

April 27, 1854, he was married to Melissa Jolly, and to them 
one child, Olen, was born. 

For many years Hugh and his good wife kept house for his 
bachelor uncle, Samuel McConnell, but when ill health overtook 
him, he, with his family went to live at the home of another 


the McConnell family history 


11 


uncle, David McConnell. It was here his death occurred in 1880 
as the result of dropsy, and interment was made in the McCon¬ 
nell cemetery. His wife, Melissa McConnell is also buried there. 

(A) Olen Jasper, son of Hugh and Melissa (Jolly) McCon¬ 
nell was born in Benton county, Indiana, five miles southwest 
of the present site of Oxford, March 5, 1855. He, like many of 
his relatives, has followed farming as his occupation. 

March 22, 1885, he was married to Ida Hinckley (born near 
Clarksburg, N'. J., Dec. 10, 1863), and except for a few years’ 
residence near Fowler the whole of their married life has been 
spent in or near Oxford. 

To them were born four children as follows: 

(i) Bertha McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., March 24, 
1883; died at birth, and was buried in the West cemetery. 

(ii) Cecil Gay McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., July 

17, 1885; died Nov. 19, 1888, and was buried in the West cemtery. 

(iii) G. Bernard McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., July 
10, 1888 ; he received his education in the Fowler schools. 

When the United States entered the World War he was 
employed as agent and operator for the Lake Erie & Western 
Railway at Oxford. He enlisted in the service in December 1917, 
in the Signal Corps. After three months’ training in the U. S. 
he was sent overseas, where he became a member of the 32nd 
Division as a Wireless Operator. After the signing of the 
armistice he served in the Army of Occupation in Germany 
until May, 1919, when he was honorably discharged from the 
army. Since that time he has been a train dispatcher for the 
L. E. & W. R. R. at Lafayette, and now for the same road, under 
the name of “Nickle Plate,” at Tipton. 

He was married Nov. 13, 1919, to Blanche Edwards and to 
them has been born one child, 

(a) Darrel Lee McConnell, born at Lafayette, Ind., May 

18, 1922. 

(iv) Adria Byrl McConnell, daughter of Olen and Ida Mc¬ 
Connell, was born at Oxford, Indiana, Sept. 19, 1891. She at¬ 
tended the Fowler grade school and graduated from the Oxford 
High School in 1909. Since that time she has taught fourteen 
terms of school, five at Templeton, and nine at Oxford, where 
she is in charge of the third grade work. 



12 


the McConnell family history 


ii. john McConnell 

Second child of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, 
was born in Ohio county, West Virginia, in 1791. With his two 
brothers, James and David, he entered the War of 1812, at the 
age of 21 years as a private soldier, and through valorous mili¬ 
tary conduct won the rank of colonel. 

At the close of the war he was married to Elizabeth (Mar¬ 
tin) Inskip, a widow with one child, Ann. This child was reared 
in the family, and when she grew to womanhood was a veritable 
Good Samaritan to everyone, being at all times ready to go 
where there was sickness or need. 

With his father’s family, John and his wife with their children 
left Highland county, Ohio, in 1828, Mrs. McConnell carrying 
her twin babies, Marion and Margaret Jane, on horseback the 
entire distance, and located in Fountain county, Indiana. Later 
they came to Benton county, to what was known as the “Jack- 
son Place,” south of Chase. Later in life they retired from the 
farm and came to Oxford to live; their home was near one of 
Oxford's first school houses, that house now occupied by Wil¬ 
liam Armour and family. 

Mr. McConnell and wife were quiet, unassuming people and 
well respected. In the last years of their lives Mrs. McConnell 
was almost blind, and their youngest son, Jackson, and wife 
lived with them, and were a great comfort to them. 

Politically Mr. McConnell was a Democrat and was liberal 
in his views. His death came October 20, 1872, as the result of 
an accident. Gov. O. P. Morton was to make a political address 
that afternoon, and Mr. McConnell was hurrying through with 
his chores in order to attend; he was leading two young horses 
from the barn to water them when the band commenced playing; 
the horses became frightened, jerked him to the ground, and 
trampled him so badly that a few days later he died of internal 
injuries which he had received. He was aged eighty-one years. 


the McConnell family history 


13 


Mrs. McConnell lived a few years after her husband’s death, 
dying in her 87th year. 

Following are the children born to them: Sarah, David, 
Amanda, John L., Betty, James A., Wm. Marion and Margaret 
Jane (twins), and Andrew Jackson. 

(1) Sarah Wilson-Brown, eldest child of John and Eliza¬ 
beth McConnell, was born in Highland county, Ohio, Dec. 15, 
1814. In the fall of 1828 she came to Indiana with her parents, 
and May 5, 1835, she was married to Lewis Wilson. 

The following year they moved to the lead mines district at 
Oskaloosa, Wisconsin, and it was there in 1844 that Mr. Wilson’s 
death occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson built one of the first 
houses in Oskaloosa, and there, in this home, the Indians often 
visited them, for they were friends of the Red man. Mrs. Wil¬ 
son, at the death of her husband, was left with four children, 
and with them she moved to Lee county, Iowa; here two of 
her children died and were buried. 

In 1845, with her two surviving children, Benton and Mary, 
she returned to Indiana, and March 16, 1848, was married to 
John Brown, who died Oct. 6, 1856, leaving her with six children. 

In the spring of 1864 she moved to Illinois, and in 1882 broke 
up housekeeping and lived with her children the remainder of 
her life. Her life ended in Illinois and her body rests at Mil¬ 
ford. Mrs. Brown was a member of the Methodist church. 

Following are her children: 

(A) John Benton Wilson, son of Sarah and Lewis Wilson, 
was born in Warren county, Indiana, April 7, 1836. When a 
child he moved with his parents to Southwestern Wisconsin, 
then to Lee county, Iowa, and then with his widowed mother 
returned to Oxford Indiana. 

He worked on farms until 1854 when he went via Lake 
Nicaragua to the gold fields of California. After one year in that 
country he returned to Indiana via the Isthmus of Panama, 
being one of the passengers on the first through train crossing 
the Isthmus. 

He invested his gold brought from California in the north 
half section of Lovejoy township, Iroquois county, Illinois. 

Feb. 28, 1856, he was married to Eliza Hickman, daughter 


14 the McConnell family history 

of Peter Hickman of Warren county, Ind.; she died Sept. 12, 
1874, leaving him with six children. 

June 1, 1876, Benton Wilson married Rachel Mills and one 
daughter, Hattie, was born to them. 

Mr. Wilson died at Milford, Ill., April 15, 1908, and is buried 
in the Amity cemetery, near Milford, Ill. 

His children follow: 

(i) Mary E. Pate, daughter of Benton and Eliza Wilson, 
married Alexander Pate; she is now a widow and lives in Chi¬ 
cago with her two daughters: 

(a) Gertrude (Pate) Gordon, 

(b) Lyda (Pate) Morrison. Mrs. Morrison has two 
children: 

(*) William Morrison, 

(*) Alexander Morrison. 

(ii) Sarah A. Hall, daughter of Benton and Eliza Wilson, 
married A. J. Hall and they reside at Milford, Illinois. They 
have one child: 

(a) Alice (Hall) Wade, wife of W. N. Wade of Chicago. 
They are the parents of two children: 

(*) Ruth Hall Wade, 

(*) Quiney Allen Hall of St. Paul, Minnesota. 

(iii) Thomas Newton Wilson, son of Benton and Eliza 
Wilson, lives in California. He has two sons: 

(a) Burrus Wilson, and 

(b) Olin Wilson, both of Spokane, Washington. 

(iv) Martha F. Dawson, daughter of Benton and Eliza 
Wilson, married C. N. Dawson and they reside at Peoria, Illi¬ 
nois. They have one child, 

(a) Helen (Dawson) Root, a widow. 

(v) Eliza Jane Braden, daughter of Benton and Eliza Wil¬ 
son, married U. S. Braden of Watseka, Illinois. She died there 
in 1893 leaving three children, 

(a) Frank Braden, 

(b) Gertrude (Braden) Robertson, wife of Ralph Robert¬ 
son, an attorney of Sapulpa, Oklahoma. 

(c) Ben Braden, Judge of Creek county, Oklahoma. 

(vi) Lewis Benton Wilson, son of Benton and Eliza Wil- 


the McConnell family history 


15 


son, died at Pasadena, Cal., May 27, 1923, leaving a wife and 
one child, Gladys. 

(b) Mary (Wilson) Strout, daughter of Sarah and Lewis 
Wilson, and sister of Benton Wilson Sr., married William Strout. 
Both are dead and their descendants live in the Middle Western 
states. 

Following are the children of Sarah (McConnell) and John 
Brown: 

(c) William Brown, 

(d) Emily Brown, 

(e) David Brown, 

(f) Warren Brown. 

(g) Ellen (Brown) Rowe, who married Thomas Rowe; 
they reside at Gordon City, Nebraska; 

(h) A. H. Brown. 

In early manhood David, Warren and A. H. Brown went 
to Harper, Kansas, and there David and A. H. still reside. War¬ 
ren died there four years ago. 

(2) David McConnell, second child of John and Elizabeth 
McConnell, was born in Highland county, Ohio, in 1816. As 
a lad he came with his parents first to Fountain county, Ind., 
and later to Benton county, where he was married. He did not 
stay long in Indiana, but with his wife, Mariah, and niece, Mary 
Jane Thompson, moved to Iowa. Further information concern¬ 
ing him I was unable to firld. 

(3) Amanda Baird-Stanley, daughter of John and Elizabeth 
McConnell, was born in Highland county, Ohio, in 1818. With 
her parents she came in 1828 to Fountain county, Ind., and later 
to Benton county. She grew to womanhood on her father’s 
farm southwest of Oxford, and had the schooling advantages 
of that day. For several years she taugh school at the Boynton 
school near Oxford. 

February 25, 1842, she was married to John Baird, D. R. 
Lucas performing the ceremony, and to them one child, Rachel, 
was born. Mr. Baird died in 1844, and Feb. 5, 1845, she was mar¬ 
ried to Cyrus Stanley. For one year they resided on a farm 
near Attica, Ind.; they then traded this farm for one of 240 
acres adjoining Chase, Ind.; here their family of seven children 
was born, and five of them reared ; they received their schooling 


16 


the McConnell family history 


at the Perigo school, attending three months during the year. 
Two of the seven children died at birth. 

Cyrus Stanley died March 25, 1869, of cancer of the stom¬ 
ach, and was buried in the West cemetery at Oxford. 

Amanda Stanley’s death occurred April 6, 1895, of pneu¬ 
monia while visiting at Jacksonville, Mo., with her son, Homer. 
The body was brought to Oxford, and the funeral service con¬ 
ducted by J. J. Claypool, from the Methodist church of which 
she was a faithful member. Interment was made in the West 
cemetery beside her second husband. 

Following are the children of Amanda: 

(A) Rachel (Baird) Mills-Wilson, daughter of Amanda and 
John Baird, was born Jan. 4, 1842. She was first married to 
William Mills, and to them were born two children, Lora and 
William. After Mr. Mills’ death she was married to J. B. Wil¬ 
son June 1, 1876; he died April 15, 1908, and she now resides at 
Milford, Illinois. 

Rachel’s children by her two marriages are: 

(i) Lora Mills, deceased, buried in the West cemetery, 
Oxford. 

(ii) William Mills. f" \ ! ! f 

, 

(iii) Hattie Wilson, who lives with her mother and teaches 
in the Milford school. 

(B) John M. Stanley, son of Amanda and Cyrus Stanley, 
was born on a farm near Chase, Ind., October 8, 1846. He was 
married Jan. 13, 1875, to Josie Silfe at Milford, Ill.; they lived 
on the farm near Chase, where they raised their family, until 
they retired from active work; they then moved to Boswell, Ind., 
where Mrs. Stanley died of cancer and is buried. 

Mr. Stanley has, since her death, made his home at Boswell 
with his youngest child, Mrs. Hazel Hatton. 

Following are the nine children of John and Josie Stanley: 

(i) Charley C. Stanley, born Nov. 11, 1875; died Nov. 13, 
1876, of scarlet fever. 

(ii) Mary Edith Harrington, daughter of John and Josie 
Stanley, was born on the farm near Chase, Sept. 21, 1877; she 
received her schooling in the township and Oxford schools. Was 
married Jan. 1, 1900, at her parents’ home to Herbert L. Har- 


the McConnell family history 


17 


rington, a farmer and sales agent for the Ford automobile at 
Fowler, Ind., where they reside. 

To them have been born three children, as follows: 

(a) Mildred Lucille Harrington, was born Oct. 27, 1901. 
She graduated from the Fowler high school, then spent one year 
at DePauw University and one at Purdue University. 

(b) Hilda Louise Barce, daughter of Edith and Bert Har¬ 
rington, was born Sept. 8, 1903; graduated from the Fowler 
high school, and was married to Edward Barce, a lawyer, June 
7, 1921. They are the parents of one child. 

(*) Betty Jane Barce, born March 20, 1922. She was the 
youngest person at the second McConnell reunion held in Old 
Academy Park, Oxford, August 20, 1922. 

(c) Mary Marjorie Harrington, daughter of Edith and Bert 
Harrington, was born in Fowler, Ind., Nov. 9, 1919. 

(iii) Infant daughter of John and Josie Stanley born and 
died Nov. 8, 1879. 

(iv) Infant daughter of John and Josie Stanley born and 
died April 6, 1881. 

(v) Rachel Gertrude Harrington, daughter of John and 
josie Stanley, was born on the farm near Chase, Ind., Oct. 30, 
1882. She attended the Boswell, Ind., schools, and later taught 
school at the Beazell school house. 

April 12, 1915, she was married at her parents’ home to 
William B. Harrington, brother to Herbert Harrington, her 
sister, Edith’s, husband. Mr. Harrington is a farmer and they 
reside eleven miles northwest of Lafayette. 

Three children have been born to Gertie and Will Harring¬ 
ton, the first having died at birth. The two surviving are: 

(b) Maxwell Stanley Harrington, born Jan. 27, 1907; he 
is now attending the Montmorenci high school. 

(c) Gertrude Lucille Harrington, born June 4, 1910; at¬ 
tends school at Octagon. 

(vi) Robert D. Stanley, child of John and Josie Stanley, 
was born Feb. 24, 1885; died of spinal meningitis, March 21, 
1886. 

(vii) Josiah D. Stanley, son of John and Josie Stanley, was 
born on the farm near Chase, Ind., May 6, 1887, he received his 


18 


the McConnell family history 


schooling at the McDade and Chase schools, and attended school 
at Valparaiso one winter. 

October 11, 191—, at Fowler, Ind., he was married to Lola 
Smith, a school teacher of Boswell, Ind. For ten years after 
their marriage they resided on the home farm near Chase, but 
in the spring of 1923, they quit farming and moved to Los An¬ 
geles, Cal., where he is working at the carpenter trade. 

To Joe and Lola Stanley have been born three children: 

(a) Margaret Lucille Stanley, born near Chase, Ind., Aug. 
19, 1912. 

(b) John Joseph Stanley, born on the farm near Chase, 
Ind., June 10, 1916. 

(c) Phyllis Maxine Stanley, born on the farm near Chase, 
Ind., April 17, 1918. 

(viii) Lora Blanche Conner, daughter of John and Josie 
Stanley, was born on the farm near Chase, Ind., Sept. 5, 1890. 
She attended school at Boswell and had a term at Winona Lake, 
Ind., later she was a teacher in the Chase school. 

January 17, 1912, she was married at Fowler, Ind., to Ray 
L. Conner, a farmer, and they are now living near Rainsville, 
Indiana. They are the parents of three children, the first of 
which died at birth. The others are: 

(b) Gene Conner, born October 16, 1914; now in school 
at Rainsville. 

(c) Martha Anne Conner, born April 28, 1921. 

(ix) Hazel Ruth Hatton, daughter of John and Josie Stan¬ 
ley, was born on the farm near Chase, Indiana, February 19, 
1894. She graduated from the Boswell high school, and 
attended Normal school at Winona Lake, Ind., for forty-eight 
weeks, and taught school one year at Chase and three years 
at Boswell. 

June 24, 1919, she was married to Lawrence D. Hatton, a 
grocerman, and they reside at Boswell, Ind., her father, John M. 
Stanley, making his home with her. 

To Hazel and Lawrence Hatton has been born one child, 

(a) Rosemary Hatton, born April 30, 1921. She was the 
youngest person attending the first McConnell reunion at Old 
Academy Park, Oxford, Sept. 10, 1921. 

(C) Martha (Stanley) Mitchell was born near Chase, Ind., 


the McConnell family history 


19 


March 7, 1848. She married Ingram Mitchell and they made 
their home on a farm n£ar Talbott, Ind. Here her death occurred 
March 25, 1869. Two children were born to Martha and In¬ 
gram Mitchell: 

(i) Charles Mitchell, 

(ii) Hattie Mitchell (deceased). 

(D) Marion Stanley, son of Amanda and Cyrus Stanley, 
was born near Chase, Ind., June 22, 1852; died of pneumonia 
Feb. 1, 1901, at Jacksonville, Mo., at the home of his brother, 
Homer Stanley. 

(E) Lydia (Stanley) Albaugh, daughter of Amanda and 
Cyrus Stanley, was born near Chase, Ind., July 31, 1854 She 
was the wife of Levi Albaugh (born Sept. 8, 1850), and much 
of their married life was spent on the farm. When they re¬ 
tired from active labor they made their home in Oxford, Ind., 
and there Mr. Albaugh’s death occurred June 4, 1915. Since 
that time Mrs. Albaugh has made her home with her two 
daughters. 

Three children were born to Lydia and Levi Albaugh, as 
follows: 

(i) Josie Johnson, daughter of Lydia and Levi Albaugh, 
was born March 21, 1875, at Bowling Green, Ohio. She came 
with her parents as a child to Indiana, and here grew to woman¬ 
hood. Dec. 27, 1893, she was married to Bernie Johnson, a farmer 
of Boswell, Ind., and to them were born two children, 

(a) Russell, born May 10, 1901; died April 7, 1904. 

(b) Ethel Johnson, born April 19, 1908, who is now at¬ 
tending school at Boswell. 

(ii) Earl Albaugh, son of Lydia and Levi Albaugh, was 
born north of Chase, Ind., Feb. 13, 1878, and died Nov. 4, 1895. 

(iii) Ethel Kolb, daughter of Lydia and Levi Albaugh, was 

born near Chase, Ind., Oct. 4, 1880. She was married to Albert 

Kolb, Tune 14, 1905, and they have since resided at Council 
* » 

Bluffs, Iowa; Mr. Kolb is employed in the offices of the Union 
Pacific R. R. at Omaha, Nebr. To Ethel and Albert Kolb has 
been born one child, 

(a) Josephine Kolb, born April 13, 1909; she is a pupil in 
the Council Bluffs school. 

(F) Homer Stanley, son of Amanda and Cyrus Stanley, 


20 


the McConnell family history 


was born near Chase, Ind., Sept. 19, 1856. He was married Oct. 
17, 1886, to Alice Kersey at Fowler, Ind. For several years they 
lived at Jacksonville, Mo., but later returned to Indiana and are 
living on a farm near Fair Oaks. To them was born one child, 

(i) John Herschel Stanley, was born in Randolph County, 
Mo., July 15, 1900. 

(4) John L. McConnell, fourth child of John and Elizabeth 
McConnell, was born in Highland county, Ohio, in April, 1820. 
With his parents he came to Indiana in 1828, and, when he grew 
to manhood, moved to Illinois. He died quite suddenly at his 
home at Butler, Mo., May 24, 1895. 

His first wife, Almira Sarjent, sister of Margaret Sarjent, 
his brother, Marion’s, wife, died early in life leaving him with 
two small children, Sarah Ann and J. Lemuel. 

His second wife, Elizabeth Johnson, also died early leaving 
two daughters, Myra and Mattie. 

His third wife, Mrs. Mary Smith, also died before he, leav¬ 
ing six children, Franklin, Burt, Will, Emma, Cora and Dilla. 

(A) Sarah Ann Flinney, daughter of John L. and Almira 
McConnell, was born in Indiana, Sept. 29, 1842; she lived to 
raise her family, and died in February, 1919, aged seventy-seven 
years. 

(B) J. Lemuel McConnell, son of John L. and Almira Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Indiana, Sept. 27, 1844. October 31, 1867, 
he was married to Melissa Carmen in Iroquois County, Illinois, 
and to them were born four sons, as follows: 

(i) Otis McConnell, son of J. Lemuel and Melissa (Car¬ 
men) McConnell, was born in 1872; he is married ; lives at Hume, 
Mo., and has four children. 

(a) Millard McConnell, married, and living in Kansas 
City, Mo. 

(b) Mildred McConnell, in school at Pittsburg, Kansas. 

(c) Merle McConnell, living at home with her parents. 

(d) Ruth McConnell, living with her parents. 

(iii) Ray McConnell, son of Lemuel and Melissa (Carmen) 
McConnell, is married and lives at Hume, Mo. He has three sons, 
as follows: 

(a) Alton McConnell, living in Kansas City. 


the McConnell family history 


21 


(b) Raymond McConnell, traveling with a chautauqua 
troupe. 

(c) Virgil McConnell, living at home with his parents. 

(iv) Lyle McConnell, son of J. Lemuel and Melissa (Car¬ 
men) McConnell, is married; he moved to Seattle, Washington, 
in 1903, where he still resides. 

(C) Myra -, daughter of John L. and Elizabeth 

(Johnson) McConnell, lives with a son, Harmon, and a daughter, 
Mrs. Dan Dicy, on a farm near Hume, Mo. She has four children. 

(i) Harmon, of Hume, Mo. 

(ii) Mrs. Dan Dicy, of Hume, Mo. 

(iii) John, married and living in Kansas City. 

(iv) Lora, married and living in Kansas City. 

(D) Mattie McConnell, daughter of John L and Elizabeth 
(Johnson) McConnell. No further record given. 

(E) Franklin McConnell, son of John L. and Mary (Smith) 
McConnell, is married and lives in Kansas City; he has two 
children. 

(F) Burt McConnell, son of John L. and Mary (Smith) Mc¬ 
Connell, is unmarried and lives in Kansas City. 

(G) Will McConnell, son of John L. and Mary (Smith) 
McConnell, died in 1922 at his home in Clinton, Missouri, leav¬ 
ing a wife, one son and one daughter. 

(H) Emma -, daughter of John L. and Mary 

(Smith) McConnell, is a widow and lives with a son in Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

(I) Cora Hemstreet, daughter of John L. and Mary 
(Smith) McConnell, lives in Kansas City and has one son. 

(J) Dilla Ludwich, daughter of John L. and Mary (Smith) 
McConnell, lives at Butler, Mo., she has one son living in Kansas 
City and one daughter living at home. 

(5) Elizabeth Thompson, daughter of John and Elizabeth 
McConnell, was born in Highland county, Ohio, April 22, 1821. 
With her parents she came to Indiana, finally settling in Warren 
county. There Feb. 26, 1845, she was married to Dr. Joseph 
Thompson (born at Reading, Pa., in 1811). To them were born 
twelve children, five of whom died when young. The other 
seven were raised in Warren County, Ind. 

Dr. Thompson was a soldier in the Civil War, being a mem- 





22 


the McConnell family history 


ber of Co. D., Tenth Indiana Volunteers. His death occurred 
in Warren county, Oct. 30, 1880, and was due to disease con¬ 
tracted while in the army. Mrs. McConnell also died in Warren 
county, June 23, 1895, and they both, together with three chil¬ 
dren, eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren, are buried 
in the Rainsville cemetery. 

Following are their children: 

(A) Malinda Littell, daughter of Elizabeth (Betty) and 
Dr. Joseph Thompson, was born Dec. 16, 1845. She was raised 
in Hamilton county, Ind., and was married to George Littell; 
she died near Rainsville and is buried at that place. She was the 
mother of three children: 

(i) Charles Littell and 

(ii) Lydia Littell, both deceased. 

(iii) Elizabeth (Littell) Hendley, wife of Alfred Hendley; 
lives near West Lebanon; they have six children. 

(B) Robert W. Thompson, was born Feb. 9, 1847; died in 
1877, at Rainsville and is buried there. 

(C) Sarah A. Coleman, daughter of Elizabeth and Dr. Jo¬ 
seph Thompson, was born Dec. 23, 1848; married James K. Cole¬ 
man a soldier of the Civil War; to them were born seven chil¬ 
dren, three of whom survive. Sarah Coleman is buried at 
Rainsville. 

(L)) John W. Thompson, son of Elizabeth and Dr. Joseph 
I hompson, was born Sept. 4, 1850. He was married to Anna 
Evans and they live at Weldona, Colorado. They are the par¬ 
ents of four children: 

(i) Goldie Thompson, 

(ii) Florence Thompson, 

(iii) Gertie Thompson, 

(iv) Lloyd Thompson. 

(E) Mary Jane Camp, daughter of Elizabeth and Dr. Jo¬ 
seph Thmopson, was born Jan. 27, 1852. In 1868, she went to 
Iowa with the family of her uncle, David McConnell, and lived 
with them for two years. She married Joshua Camp, a soldier 
of the Civil War; he died Oct. 30, 1921, and she still lives on 
the farm in Sullivan county, Missouri. To them were born 
fifteen children all but one of whom are living. 

(F) Samuel J. Thompson, son of Elizabeth and Dr. Joseph 


the McConnell family history 


23 


Thompson, was born July 1, 1855. He is married and lives at 
Weldona, Colorado. 

(G) Ida (Thompson) -, daughter of Elizabeth 

and Dr. Joseph Thompson, is married and has eight children. 

(H) Elmer Thompson, is married and has two sons. 

(I) Elma (Thompson)-, daughter of Elizabeth 

and Dr. Joseph Thompson, is married; has one son and one 
daughter. 

(J) Leatha Fisher-Hibbs, daughter of Elizabeth and Dr. 
Joseph Thompson, was born Sept. 14, 1864. She was married 
April 1, 1883, to Samuel L. Fisher, a soldier of the Civil War, 
in Co. E, Eighth Cavalry, 39th Regiment of Indiana. Seven 
children were born to them. Mr. Fisher died in Warren county, 
Ind., and is buried at Rainsville. Nov. 28, 1910, she was mar¬ 
ried to Carl Hibbs, a native of Benton county, and they reside 
at Rainsville. Following are the children born to Leatha and 
Samuel L. Fisher: 

(i) Clara J. Fisher, born July 16, 1883; died Sept. 3, 1889. 

(ii) Sarah E. (Fisher) May, born Feb. 4, 1885. Married in 
May, 1901, to Charlie May; to them were born nine children 
all of whom survive except one, which died Aug. 23, 1906. 

(iii) Laura E. (Fisher) Hillyer, was born Aug. 24, 1889; 
was married to Arthur W. Hillyer of Warren county. 

(iv) Fannie L. (Fisher) Johnson, was born May 11, 1892. 
She married Ben E. Johnson of Benton county, in 1911, and to 
them have been born five children. They live on a farm at Wel¬ 
dona, Colorado. 

(v) Elma A. (Fisher) Hawkins, was born July 1, 1895; she 
was married to Earl Hawkins of Terre Haute. They have three 
daughters. 

(vi) Rutha M. (Fisher) Boswell, was born Oct. 12, 1897. 
She was married July 14, 1918, to Glen R. Boswell, a soldier of 
the World War. To them has been born one son. 

(а) Raymond Boswell, born August 17, 1920. 

(vii) Samuel L. Fisher, son of Leatha and Samuel L. 
Fisher, was born July 19, 1902, in Pine township, Warren coun¬ 
ty. He lives with his mother at Rainsville, Ind. 

(б) James A. McConnell, sixth child of John and Elizabeth 
McConnell, was born in Highland county, Ohio, March 9, 1824. 




24 


the McConnell family history 


With his parents he came to Indiana in 1828. March, 1848, 
he was married to Sarah Mcllvaine, who died in 1861. To them 
were born five children, 

(A) William, of Milford, Illinois, and 

(B) Mrs. Myra Endsley of Minneapolis, Minn., being the 
only ones surviving. 

In 1862, Mr. McConnell left Indiana and went to Milford, 
Illinois, where he engaged in the mercantile business. 

In 1863 he married Anna Brown, and to them were born 
one son, 

(C) Hartley McConnell of Hammond, Ind. Mr. McCon¬ 
nell was a Master Mason and for fifty years a member of the 
I. O. O. F. lodge. Politically he was a Democrat. He was a 
member of the Christian church, and a man of good qualities. 
He possessed marked musical ability and for years was instruc¬ 
tor of music on the violin and leader of the Milford Band. 

The week before he died he visited in Oxford at the time 
of his brother, Marion’s 60th wedding anniversary, and the eve¬ 
ning of the night he died he had given a violin lesson. Death 
came to him at his home in Milford after only a few hours’ ill¬ 
ness, March 7, 1909, and interment was made at Milford. His 
wife lived but a few years after his death. 

(7) Margaret Jane, twin sister of Marion, and seventh 
child of John and Elizabeth McConnell, was born in Highland 
County, Ohio, Feb. 19, 1828. Her mother carried her and Ma¬ 
rion on horseback from Ohio to Indiana, and when she was 
17 years of age they came to Benton county to live. She was 
married in the 1840’s to Samuel Mcllvaine, who later lost his 
life in a 30-foot fall while exploring a saltpeter cave with some 
comrades during the Civil War. 

To them were born six children, three of whom preceded 
the mother in death. When the call came for soldiers to save 
the Union, Mr. Mcllvaine enlisted in the 10th Regiment of In¬ 
diana Volunteers. At this time his wife, Jane, left the farm and 
came to Oxford, where she spent the remainder of her life. 

In the 1880’s she married- Boyd, who also preceded her 

in death. Death, caused by apoplexy, came to her Jan. 5, 1890, 
in Ludlow, Ill., where she had been visiting for five weeks with 
her daughter, Mrs. Anah Anderson. Her body was brought to 



the McConnell family history 


25 


Oxford and laid to rest in the West cemetery. The funeral was 
conducted from the Christian church, in which she had long been 
an earnest and faithful member. 

Following are three of her six children: 

(A) Silas Mcllvaine, son of Samuel and Jane Mcllvaine, 
and a mail clerk on the Michigan Central R. R. for seventeen 
years, was killed in a collision when 52 years of age. He had 
four children: 

(i) A son who died Nov. 4, 1889, at Kalamazoo, Mich., of 
diphtheria. 

(ii) Jessie Mcllvaine. 

(iii) Helen Mcllvaine. 

(iv) Hazel Mcllvaine. 

(B) Anah Anderson, daughter of Jane and Samuel Mc¬ 
llvaine, married John Anderson. They live in Indianapolis 
and have one child, 

(i) Bessie Moss, who married Irvin Moss and who with 
their son, 

(a) Robert Moss, lives near her parents at Indianapolis. 

(C) Sara Mcllvaine, daughter of Jane and Samuel Mc¬ 
llvaine ; unmarried; afflicted with blindness; lives at Indian¬ 
apolis with her sister, Anah Anderson. 

(D) William Mcllvaine, son of Jane and Samuel Mcllvaine, 
lives in Walla Walla, Washington, with his invalid wife. Three 
daughters, buried in Washington, and a son, buried in Indiana, 
have preceded them in death. 

(7) William Marion McConnell, twin brother of Margaret 
Jane, and son of John and Elizabeth McConnell, was born Feb. 
19, 1828, in Highland county, Ohio. That year the family came 
to Fountain County, Indiana, the mother carrying the twins 
the entire distance on horseback. When seventeen years of 
age, Marion came with his parents to Benton county, and grew 
to manhood on a farm southwest of Oxford. 

March 1, 1849, he was married to Margaret Sarjent, sister 
of his brother, John L.’s, wife, Jackson Buckles performing the 
ceremony. The ceremony took place at the home of her father, 
Tesse Sarjent, in the old brick house, nine miles southwest of 
Oxford, still standing at this time. Most of their married life 


26 


the McConnell family history 


was spent on farms southwest of Oxford, a few years of the time 
being lived in Iroquois County, Illinois. 

In 1852 Marion, in company with three other men, started 
for the California gold fields, with four yokes of oxen and a 
covered wagon. It took five months to make the trip, and dur¬ 
ing that time they had encounters with the Indians and wild 
animals, swam swollen streams and endured many hardships. 
He remained in California over a year, returning home via 
the Isthmus of Panama and New York City. 

In 1861 he enlisted as a soldier in the Civil War, in Co. D., 
Sixtieth Indiana Volunteers, and later in Co. K., One Hundred 
and Forty-seventh Indiana Volunteers, being in the service three 
and one-half years. When he enlisted in the army his wife mov¬ 
ed to Oxford and here they spent the remainder of their days. 

Mr. and Mrs. McConnell lived together sixty-three years, 
and on their sixtieth anniversary their children held a reception 
for them; it was for them a memorable occasion, many of their 
relatives, friends and members of the G. A. R. being present. 

Mrs. McConnell was born on Shawnee Prairie, Fountain 
county, Ind., Feb. 18, 1832; departed this life May 19, 1912. 
at Oxford, Indiana. 

Mr. McConnell was a member of the local G. A. R. Post 
and a member of the Christian church. Death came to him 
July 9, 1916, at the age of 88 years, 4 months and 20 days. 

To Mr. and Mrs. McConnell were born ten children, as 
follows. 

(A) Alonzo McConnell, died in infancy. 

(B) Mary Jane Jackson, daughter of Marion and Margaret 
McConnell, married George Jackson while making her home 
in Kansas. They now live at Battle Ground, Ind. Their chil¬ 
dren are: 

(i) Beulah Graefnitz, wife of Albert Graefnitz. They live 
at Lake Village, Illinois, and have two children: 

(a) Russell Graefnitz. 

(b) Ruth Graefnitz. 

(ii) Wilbur Jackson, son of Mary J. and George Jackson, 
married Bess Scott; they live at Ft. Wayne, Ind., and have two 
children, 

(a) Royal Jackson. 


the McConnell family history 


27 


(b) Alexander Jackson. 

(iii) Hubert Jackson, son of Mary J. and George Jackson, 
married Mary Reynolds; they live at Ft. Wayne, Ind, and have 
two children. 


(C) Anna E. Pagett, daughter of Marion and Margaret 
McConnell, married Robert F. Pagett. They made their home 
in Oxford, and it was here that Mr. Pagett died and was buried 
in the West cemetery. Mrs. Pagett moved to Gary, Indiana, 
about fifteen years ago, and that is her home at present. She, 
and all of her father’s descendants, are members of the Christian 
church. The children of Anna and Robert Pagett are: 


(i) Virgil W. Pagett, was born May 29 (about 1874) ; is 
vice-president of the Mudge Motor Co., and his work consists 
much in travel over the whole United States. He married Edith 
Klump and they have one son, 

(a) Albert Pagett. 

(ii) Margaret Wroe Pagett, was born in Oxford, Ind., Dec. 
30 (about 1876), an dtaught a number of years in the Oxford 
school. She lives with her mother at Gary, where she has a 
position as bookkeeper. 

(iii) William Milton Pagett, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
August 7 (about 1879). Graduated from the Oxford high school 
in 1897. His present home is in Gary where he is a carpenter. 
He is also a capable musician, the clarinet being his chosen in¬ 
strument. His wife, Sylvia, to whom he was married November 
9, 1909, died March 7, 1920, leaving him with two small children, 

(a) William Dale Pagett, who makes his home in Oxford 
with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Van Horn, and 

(b) Robert Pagett, who since his birth has lived in the 
home of his great-aunt, Lulu (McConnell) Alexander. 

(iv) Arthur G. Pagett, was born at Oxford, Ind., October 
26 (about 1881) ; married Ethel Taylor, and they reside at 
Los Angeles, California; they .have one child, 

(a) Edna Jean Pagett./ 

(v) Mary E. Hickman, was born in Oxford, Ind., April 
19, 1884. She married George W. Hickman, a carpenter, and 
they reside at Oxford. They have two children, 

(a) Robert Smith Hickman, born Oct. 22, 1909. 

(b) Thelma Marian Hickman, born March 18, 1912. 


28 


the McConnell family history 


(vi) Ruth M. Patrick, daughter of Anna and Robert Pagett, 
was born in Oxford, Ind., Sept. 2 (about 1888) ; she married 
John W. Patrick, and they live at Detroit, Michigan. They have 
two small children: 

(a) Catherine Anna Patrick. 

(b) Lawrence Marion Patrick. 

(D) Wallace and Watson (twins), sons of Marion and 
Margaret McConnell, were born in Oxford, Ind. Wallace died 
May 26, 1874, from being kicked in the stomach by a horse. 
Watson C. married Olie King, they live in Gas City, Ind., and 
have one son, 

(i) Wayne McConnell, who married Naomi McDaniel; 
they live in Spokane, Washington, and have one child, 

(a) John Watson McConnell. 

(E) Rachel L. Mitchell, daughter of Marion and Margaret 
McConnell, was born in Iroquois county, Illinois; she married 
Samuel Mitchell, and they made their home at Battle Ground, 
Ind., where she died Dec. 3, 1915, after a long illness. Her chil¬ 
dren are: 

(i) Okah M. Dolph, who married Archie Dolph; their home 
is at Lafayette, Indiana. 

(ii) Paul M. Mitchell, who married Gertrude Rowen; he 
has been superintendent of the Hampshire, Ill., schools for two 
years. 

(iii) Helen Esther Mitchell, who lives with her father at 
Battle Ground. 

(F) William M. McConnell, son of Marion and Margaret 
McConnell, died in infancy. 

(G) Eva M. Flack, daughter of Marion and Margaret Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind., was educated as a nurse and 
practiced a number of years; she married Robert J. Flack, and 
they reside at East Liberty, Ohio. 

(H) Lulu V. Alexander, daughter of Marion and Margaret 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind.; was educated as a nurse and 
the Oxford high school and engaged in teaching a number of 
years. She married Dr. William P. Alexander, and they reside 
at Gary, Indiana. Dr. Alexander’s father, aged 94 years, and 
little Robert Pagett are both cared for in this home. 

(I) Elmer E. McConnell, son of Marion and Margaret Me- 


the McConnell family history 


29 


Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind.; he married Tillie S. Solomon 
in Los Angeles, Cal., where they now reside. They have two 
children: 

(i) William McConnell. 

(ii) Helen Margaret McConnell. 

(8) Andrew Jackson McConnell, youngest child of John 
and Elizabeth McConnell, was born in Indiana and spent all but 
the last twenty-five years of his life in Oxford. Since then he 
lived in Kansas City, where he died January 27, 1904. His wife, 
Phoebe, and daughter, Lizzie, lived but a short time after his 
death. Both Mr. and Mrs. McConnell were devout members of 
the Christian church. Following are their children: 

(A) Lizzie, who died early in the 1900’s. 

(B) William McConnell, who lives in Western Kansas. 

(C) Luther McConnell, 

(D) Samuel McConnell, both living in Kansas City. 

(E) Charles McConnell, who lives in Okar, Texas. 


30 


the McConnell family history 


hi. DAVID McConnell 


third child of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was 
born in Ohio county, West Virginia, Nov. 1, 1792. 

He received a good education for that time, and when 
twenty years of age enlisted in Col. Kay’s regiment and served 
with him under Gen. Harrison until the close of the War of 1812. 

After the close of the war he farmed for a while in Highland 
county, Ohio. In 1822 he went to Adams county, Ohio, near 
the town of West Union. Here he was married to Mary (Polly) 
Moore, daughter of William and Keziah (Baldwin) Moore, and 
here also four children were born to them : Elizabeth, Baldwin, 
Lavica and Jasper N. 

While Jasper was still an infant (1828) the family came to 
Fountain county, Indiana, David and his father, Hugh, having 
previously explored the country and found a settling place on 
the banks of the Wabash near Covington. Plere occurred the 
birth of his son, Jackson D 

In the year 1831 David brought his family from Fountain 
county to Warren county settling at Pond Grove. While living 
here two children were born: John Franklin and Mary; and 
here, too, an itinerant minister of the gospel baptised all the 
children. 

In 1835, David pushed northward and settled in Benton 
county at White Oak Grove. At that time there were but two 
cabins in this locality, one owned by Bazil Justus and standing 
where Frank Atkinson Sr.’s house now stands; the other an un¬ 
occupied cabin standing on the hill at what is now the Justus 
cemetery. This cabin, the builders of which had either been 
killed by Indians or had moved to other parts, was later used 
as the first schoolhouse. 

At the northeastern corner of what is now Oxford, on the 
old Lafayette Road that led to Chicago, David built a log cabin, 
and, in the course of time, this structure was replaced by the 
house which now stands on the same site. The log cabin was 
then moved back and used as a summer kitchen. 


the McConnell family history 


31 


At that early day the country consisted of vast stretches of 
prairie land topped by tall buffalo grass which waved and bil¬ 
lowed in the prairie wind making the pioneers seasick, and also 
homesick for the Ohio hills. Swamps abounded, and ague, the 
disease child of swamplands, added to the discomforts and hard¬ 
ships they experienced. Wild game was plentiful, and, for the 
first fifteen years, herds of deer, ten to fifteen in a herd, could 
be seen at almost any time crossing the prairie. 

David was interested in the happenings of the day and was 
associated actively with many notable persons of that time. 
His home was ever open to receive travelers and guests, and 
was a haven of hospitality and happiness. 

During his life in Benton County he was at various times: 
Justice of the Peace, Associate Judge of Benton and Warren 
Counties for ten years; Associate Judge of Benton County two 
years; Probate Judge in Benton and Jasper Counties two years; 
he was twice appointed District Marshal by the governor, and 
he also represented his district twice in the State Legislature. 

His son, J. Franklin, accredits the naming of the town of 
Oxford to him, and I have often heard my father, Jasper N., 
also his son, tell of how he was permitted to name our county 
“Benton” after Senator Thomas Benton of Missouri, one of his 
best friends. 

An old sketch of his life says: “He was the father of Ox¬ 
ford ; Mr. McConnell was a Democrat and was never defeated 
for office.” Although reared by strict Presbyterian parents he 
was not a church member, but rigidly brought up his children 
in the church, laughingly referring to himself as “a brother- 
in-law of the Presbyterian church.” 

David and Polly (Moore) McConnell were the parents of 
eleven children: Elizabeth, Baldwin, Lavica, Jasper, Jackson, 
Mary, Frank, Benton, Thomas, Josie and George. 

Polly (Moore) McConnell was born Nov. 21, 1805, and died 
March 19, 1846; aged 40 years, 3 months and 28 days. Her body 
rests in the Justus cemetery. 

Six years later David was married to Mrs. Sarah Brown 
Blanchfill, who several years after his death, departed this life 
at Vienna, Illinois, and was buried there. 

David lived to be ninety-two years of age, and was in ex- 


32 


the McConnell family history 


cellent health and quite active until his death. One day while 
pulling weeds he wiped the perspiration from his face, and in so 
doing, touched a small sore on his lip; it became infected, ery¬ 
sipelas set in and death resulted in a few days. It came October, 
21, 1884, and his body was buried in the Justus cemetery beside 
his wife, Polly, and near his mother, Elizabeth (Jolly) McCon¬ 
nell. Histories of his descendants follow: 

(1) Elizabeth Lewis, daughter of David and Polly (Moore) 
McConnell, and better known as “Betsy,” was born in Adams 
county, Ohio, August 22, 1823, and hers proved to be an event¬ 
ful life, full of difficult experiences. She was married February 
15, 1842, when nineteen years of age to a widower, Thomas 
Lewis. To them were born seven children, and, besides caring 
for these, she also reared a number of orphans, among them 
Cynthia Runyan, her two children, Arthur and Lizzie (all of 
whom are now dead), and Wilbur Reagan of Lafayette. 

Her husband was an adventurous man, and in 1855, in a 
mood of restlessness he moved his family to Richland, Iowa, 
the Mississippi being crossed on the ice. After four years’ resi¬ 
dence here, they pushed on to California. It was while living 
in Iowa that their son, David, a markedly intelligent boy, fell 
while climbing in a barn and fractured his skull, resulting in 
an affliction from which he is still suffering. 

After many thrilling experiences with Indians and wild ani¬ 
mals while crossing the plains in 1859, they arrived in Cali¬ 
fornia at a place called Vina. In 1862 the husband, Thomas 
Lewis, died and was buried in California, near their home, in 
the Sill’s Peach Orchard Burying ground. The following year 
a daughter, Lavica Prudence, was drowned on her eighteenth 
birthday, July 4, 1863, and was buried at Sills Peach Orchard 
Burying Ground. 

Mrs. Lewis, with the help of her children, kept up the farm, 
raising cattle, horses and fruit until 1873, when her brother, 
Jasper N., went to California and brought her and her family 
back to her relatives and friends at Oxford, Indiana; she made 
her home on a farm one mile north of town, and afterwards in 
Oxford, until her death which occurred April 16, 1899, when she 
was seventy-five years of age. 

While in Iowa she joined the United Brethren church, but 


the McConnell family history 


33 


upon returning to Oxford she identified herself with the Pres¬ 
byterian church. Her body was laid to a deserved rest in the 
Justus cemetery, Oxford. 

(A) Mary Jane Lewis, born January 27, 1843, at Oxford, 
Indiana; died of croup when two years old. 

(B) Lavica Prudence Lewis, born July 4, 1845, at Oxford, 
Indiana; drowned at Vina, California, July 4, 1863; buried there 
in the Sills Peach Orchard Burying Ground. 

(C) David Thomas Lewis, born at Oxford, Ind., July 17, 
1848; completed what education the schools of that day afford¬ 
ed ; he has never married, and has made his home since 1898 
with his brother, Frank. He now resides near Buda, Nebraska. 

(D) Martha Matilda Kiger, daughter of Betsy and Thomas 
Lewis, was born at Oxford, Ind., May 17, 1852; she compelted 
the public school in California and later attended a school in 
Frankfort, Indiana. For several years she ran a millinery shop 
at Oxford, and September 5, 1894, she was married to Jacob 
Kiger, a widower. Mattie was an active member of the Oxford 
Christian church and was a pioneer in the work of the W. C. 
T. U. in Benton county. 

Her death resulted from cancer of the neck, March 17, 1904, 
at Oxford and she was buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(E) Amelia Lewis, was born in Oxford, Ind., and died at 
birth Dec. 11, 1853. 

(F) John Franklin Lewis, was born at Richland, Iowa. He 
attended the public schools in California and later the Oxford 
Academy, Oxford, Ind., under Mrs. Hannah Wilmoth. Mr. 
Lewis has always been a farmer, and now lives on a farm near 
Buda, Nebraska. September 27, 1888, he was married to Sarah 
Isabel (Sadie) Patterson at her father’s home near St. Edward, 
Nebraska. Seven children were born to them as follows: 

(i) Elizabeth Belle Ferrell, daughter of Frank and Sadie 
Lewis, was born at Oxford, Ind., September 12, 1889; graduated 
from the Osceola, Neb., high school in 1906; attended the Kear¬ 
ney State Normal School and taught school for one year. Was 
married June 4, 1912, at Northport, Neb., to Lloyd DeLos Ferrell 
of Kearney, where they now reside; he was at that time an ac¬ 
countant,"but is now engaged in raising and handling potatoes; 
he is also treasurer of the Farm Bureau, a city councilman, and 


34 


the McConnell family history 


is active in the Chamber of Commerce. To them have been born 
at Kearney, Neb., two children: 

(a) Wendall Lewis Ferrell, August 13, 1913, and 

(b) Lola Louise Ferrell, Dec. 27, 1915. 

(ii) Arta Marie Lewis, daughter of Frank and Sadie Lewis, 
was born in Oxford, Indiana, July 12, 1893; she was graduated 
from the St. Edward, Neb., high school in 1910, and taught 
school for seven years, attending the Kearney State Normal 
during the summer term for several summers, she was grad¬ 
uated from the University of Nebraska School of Nursing in 
1921 and is now superintendent of nurses at the Mary Lanning 
Memorial Hospital at Hastings, Nebraska. 

(iii) Thomas Trimble Lewis, son of Frank and Sadie Lewis, 
was born in Oxford, Ind., October 26, 1895. Attended high 
school at Bridgeport, Neb., also the Kearney State Normal for 
one year. He had then taken a clerical position when, as a 
member of the Nebraska Militia, he was called to the Mexican 
border June, 1916. He returned to Nebraska in January, 1917, 
but was recalled to the colors in April of that year, when war was 
declared on Germany, and was placed in the 127th Heavy Ar¬ 
tillery, Battery E. He was in training at Camp Cody, New 
Mexico, and was detained there so long that he asked for and 
received a transfer to the casuals, and thus got to sail for France 
in June, 1918; here he was placed in the 119th Light Artillery, 
Battery C., where he saw active service. He received an honor¬ 
able discharge from the army in May, 1919, and has since been 
farming near Buda, Nebraska. 

(iv) Viola L. Eames, daughter of Frank and Sadie Lewis, 
was born in Oxford, Ind., Nov. 19, 1897. Finished common 
school at Angora, Neb., and attended Kearney State Normal; 
was postmistress at Lisco, Neb., until her marriage March 30, 
1919, at Bridgeport, Neb., to Guy Otis Eames, a farmer of Lisco, 
Neb., where they now reside. To them have been born two 
children: 

(a) Mary Eames, born at Kearney, Neb., March 31, 1920, 
died at birth. 

(b) Guy Franklin Eames, born at St. Edward, Neb., June 
14, 1921. 

(v) Lawrence Howard Lewis, son of Frank and Sadie 


the McConnell family history 


35 


Lewis, born January 28, 1907, at Et. Edward, Nebraska, is still 
a school boy. 

(vi) Floyd Franklin, son of Frank and Sadie Lewis, born 
Nov. 15, 1908, at St. Edward, Neb., and died of pneumonia, 
March 17, 1910. Was buried at St. Edward, Nebraska. 

(vii) Marjorie Ruth Lewis, daughter of Frank and Sadie 
Lewis, was born at Boone, Nebraska, Sept. 9, 1911, and is still 
in school. 

(G) Benton M. Lewis, son of Elizabeth and Thomas Lewis, 
was born at Richland, Iowa, Dec. 19, 1858. Died at birth, and 
Avas buried at Richland. 

(2) William Baldwin McConnell, son of David and Polly 
Moore McConnell, was born in Adams county, Ohio, May 10, 
1825. With his parents he came to Indiana in 1828, and to White 
Oak Grove (Oxford) in 1835. 

During his early life he was engaged in school teaching, 
being the first teacher Avho taught in the first building erected 
specifically as a school house in 1844. 

Later he engaged in farming and the grocery business, and 
he filled the offices of superintendent of the County Farm and 
treasurer of Benton county when the county seat was located in 
Oxford. 

Mr. McConnell was a Democrat, a Mason, and a member 
of the Presbyterian church. 

He was married in 1845 to Frances Jane Howard, daughter 
of Hartley Howard, and to them were born eleven children, 
only two of whom, Isaac W. and Charles B., are now living. 
Jane McConnell died March 31, 1897, and he was then married 
to Clarinda Blessing. She also preceded him in death April 10, 
1906. Mr. McConnell lived in his own home until his death, 
which occurred Sept. 21, 1907, and his body was laid to rest in 
the Justus cemetery. 

Following are the children of Baldwin and Jane McConnell: 

(A) William Jasper McConnell, son of Wm. Baldwin and 
Jane Howard McConnell, was born Dec. 11, 1846, southwest of 
Oxford on the farm now known as the Gutheridge farm. 

His parents moved to Oxford when he was in his infancy, 
and he was thereafter a life long resident of that place, except 
for a short period spent at Fowler. 


36 


the McConnell family history 


As he grew to young manhood he worked on the farm with 
his father, but early in life he entered the retail drug business, 
being associated with his brother, Isaac; later he was in the 
retail dry goods and grocery business, with D. H. Russell and 
John Furnas as partners. 

Following this he was deputy treasurer of Benton county 
under his father while Oxford was yet the county seat, and when 
the court house was moved to Fowler he lived there until the 
expiration of his term of office. 

For a short time thereafter he was employed as clerk in 
Wm. H. Kelly’s grocery store. He then became cashier of the 
bank of Oxford and president of the banking firm of McConnell 
& Co., at Otterbein, Ind., being a stockholder of both institutions. 
After ten years spent in the banking business he entered the 
real estate, loan and insurance business in which he was active 
as the senior member of the firm of W. J. McConnell & Sons 
until within a few days of his death. As a business man he was 
efficient and progressive, a citizen deeply interested in the wei 
fare of his home town and community. 

Mr. McConnell united with the Presbyterian church at Ox¬ 
ford August 8, 1890, and was an elder at the time of his death. 
He was also a member of the order of F. & A. M. and of the 
Order of Eastern Star. 

He died Aug. 10, 1921, after a week’s illness due to uremic 
poisoning. The funeral service was conducted from the Pres¬ 
byterian church, and interment made in the Justus cemetery. 

On Jan. 9, 1873, he was united in marriage to Mary Eliza¬ 
beth Smith, a native of South Carolina, and to them were born 
six children, as follows: 

(i) Ada Dell Harman, eldest child of Wm. Jasper and Mary 
(Smith) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Jan. 15, 1874. 
Her entire life has been spent here with the exception of two 
years—-one of which was spent in Arkansas, the other in New 
Mexico. She graduated from the Oxford high school in 1891, 
and entered Earlham college where she took a course in music 
and art and specialized in wood carving. 

She is a member of Oak Grove Chapter O. E. S., No. 128, 
and of the National Society of D. A. R. In early life she was a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, but on April 6. 1892, 


the McConnell family history 37 

transferred her membership to the Oxford Presbyterian church. 

On Jan. 3, 1894, she was united in marriage with William 
McClun Harman, a native of Winchester, Va., and to this union 
were born three children, Russell, Pauline and Wilma. 

( a ) J* Russell Harman, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 26, 
1896. He graduated from the Oxford high school and attended 
Purdue university for three years. At that time he went to 
New Mexico where he spent two years ranching. Following 
this he was draftsman in the office of the New Mexico division 
of the National Exploration Co., located at Roswell, N. M. 

In April, 1921, he was transferred to the Los Angeles di¬ 
vision, and, upon the merging of this company with the Royal- 
Dutch Shell Co., he was promoted to the Santa Fe Springs di¬ 
vision, which position he still holds. 

He resides at Los Angeles, California. 

Russell united with the Presbyterian church at Oxford, 
March 1, 1903. He is also a member of the Masonic order and of 
the Acacia Fraternity. 

He was married Dec. 19, 1919, to Lucille Woodard of Ster¬ 
ling, Colorado, and to them has been born one child: 

(*) William Hamilton Harman, born Dec. 2, 1921. 

(b) Pauline Bond Harman, was born in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
4, 1900; after graduating from the Oxford high school in 1918, 
she attended Brenau College Conservatory at Gainesville, Ga., 
for two years, .taking the two courses, Liberal Arts and Oratory. 
She gained several honors in her Oratory work before entering 
college, and while at Brenau was elected to the Professional 
Dramatic Sorority, Zeta Phi Eta. She attended Northwestern 
University, Evanston, Ill., for two years and graduated in 1922, 
receiving the B. A. degree and diploma of Speech Arts. During 
the past year she has been teaching Public Speaking in Iron 
Mountain, Mich. She united with the Presbyterian church, 
Oxford, Indiana, Nov. 6, 1910. 

(c) Wilma Josephine Harman, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
Dec. 21, 1902; after graduating from the Oxford high school in 
1920, she entered Northwestern university in September, 1920, 
as a Liberal Arts and Oratory, student. She was initiated into 
the Beta chapter of Zeta Phi Eta. She is also studying at the 


38 


the McConnell family history 


university, continuing there her violin training. She united 
with the Presbyterian church, Oxford, Ind., February, 1913. 

(ii) Lon Dee McConnell, son of Wm. Jasper and Mary 
(Smith) McConnell, was born at Stuttgart, Arkansas, May 8, 
1877. After graduating from the Oxford high school in 1895 
he worked with his father in the insurance office under the 
name “W. J. McConnell & Son.” He then accepted the position 
of state adjuster for Indiana for the Continental Fire Insurance 
Co. of N. Y., and is now Indiana state agent for the farm depart¬ 
ment of the American Insurance Co. of Newark, N. J. 

He joined the Presbyterian church at Oxford, April 2, 1891, 
and he is also a member of the Masonic order. 

On May 22, 1901, in the old Presbyterian church, he was 
married to Lola Louise McConnell, and to them two children 
were born, Tyrrell and Virginia. Feb. 12, 1910, after a six days’ 
illness of pneumonia, Lola died; her funeral was held from the 
Presbyterian church and interment was made in the Justus 
cemetery. 

The two little children were cared for by their father's par¬ 
ents until he again was married Sept. 8, 1912, to Mrs. Ida Gar¬ 
rison. To this union one child, Mary Ruth, was born. 

At the time of his second marriage, Lon moved his family to 
Lafayette, but in the spring of 1923 went to Indianapolis where 
they now reside. The children of Lon D. and Lola Louise Mc¬ 
Connell are: 

(a) Tyrrell McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., May 6, 
1902; graduated from Jefferson high school, Lafayette, January, 
1921, and is now a junior in Northwestern university. He is a 
member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. 

(b) Virginia McConnell, daughter of Lon and Lola Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Dec. 12, 1904. She grad¬ 
uated from the Jefferson high school, Lafayette, in January, 
1923, and now resides in Indianapolis with her parents. She 
expects to enter the Western College for Women at Oxford, 
Ohio, in the fall. 

(c) Mary Ruth McConnell, daughter of Lon D. and Ida 
McConnell, was born in Lafayette, Oct. 19, 1920. 

(iii) Clara McConnell, daughter of Wm. Jasper and Mary 
(Smith) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 2, 1879. and 


the McConnell family history 


39 


died March 17, 1892, after a long illness of Bright’s disease, 
which resulted from scarlet fever. Burial was made in the 
Justus cemetery. 

(iv) Burt Drell McConnell, son of W. J. and Mary E. 
(Smith) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., March 14, 1886. 
He graduated from the Oxford high school in May, 1905. He 
entered the Indianapolis Business college the same year. After 
taking a course there he accepted a position in the Bank of Ox¬ 
ford. In 1907 he was transferred to the First National Bank of 
Lafayette. In 1910 he was appointed cashier of the Purdue 
State Bank of West Lafayette. In 1913 he resigned his position 
there, went to Roswell, New Mexico, and engaged in the Ab¬ 
stract and Insurance business. In 1918 he went to Denver, Col., 
where he still resides, and is with the Banker’s Trust of Den¬ 
ver. He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and joined the 
Presbvterian church Oct. 17, 1898. 

On Oct. 27, 1915, he married Bertha Hanna Heath of La¬ 
fayette, Ind. To this union one child has been born: 

(a) Mary Alice McConnell, born at Rosswell, N. M., Feb. 
14, 1917. 

(vi) Will Deland McConnell, son of Wm. Jasper and Mary 
(Smith) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., March 4, 1888. 
After graduating from the Oxford high school in 1907, he took 
a course at the Indianapolis Business college, and then for a 
while worked in his father’s office. 

In 1912 he moved to Ft. Stockton, Texas, but returned the 
following year and entered into partnership with his father in 
the Real Estate Loan and Insurance Co., which firm he now 
controls. 

He is a member of the Masonic order, of the order of K. 
of P., and became a member of the Presbyterian church at Ox¬ 
ford Oct. 17, 1898, in which he now holds the office of deacon. 

July 6, 1910, he was married to Agnes McGiffin, a native of 
Illinois, and to them have been born the following three children: 

(a) Frances Elizabeth McConnell, born at Ft. Stockton, 
Texas, Oct. 6, 1912. 

(b) Esther Jean McConnell, born at Oxford, Ind., Jan. 
7, 1914. 


40 


the McConnell family history 


(c) Rosemary DeForest McConnell, born at the Home 
hospital, Lafayette, Ind., Nov. 5, 1917. 

(vii) Jasper Donald McConnell, sixth child of W. J. and 
Mary (Smith) McConnell, was born May 5, 1892, at Oxford, 
Ind. After graduating from the Oxford high school in 1910 he 
assisted in his father’s office. During the war he was in the 
postal service, and at the present time is state agent for the Fire 
Association of Philadelphia for North and South Dakota with 
residence in Fargo, North Dakota. He is a member of the Ma¬ 
sonic Fraternity and of the Presbyterian church, having united 
with the latter March 9, 1903. He was married to Ruby Chap¬ 
man of Fowler, Ind., Sept. 2, 1916. To this union three children 
have been born: 

(a) Mary Ann, born Nov. 27, 1917, at Fowler, Ind. 

(b) Beatrice, born Aug. 22, 1919, at Sioux Falls, S. Dak. 

(c) William Jasper, born May 25, 1921. Died Feb. 25, 1922, 
at Sioux Falls, S. D.; the body was brought to Oxford, Ind., and 
buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(B) David Robert McConnell, son of Wm. Baldwin and 
Jane (Howard) McConnell, was born near Oxford, Ind., March 
4, 1848. His early life was spent on the farm, but, when he had 
completed his schooling in the township schools and Oxford 
Academy, he taught several years in the Benton county schools. 
One year was spent in Shelby county, Mo., with Rev. James J. 
Wilson and family, and while there he was ill a number of 
months with a severe attack of inflamatory rheumatism. 

When he returned to Oxford he engaged in the shoe busi¬ 
ness until 1879; he then went to Michigan City, Ind., where he 
filled a responsible position for seventeen years. In 1896 he 
resigned this position to work for the Hascalls & Barker Cor¬ 
poration Co., at Michigan City. He was filling this position 
when he was stricken with paralysis in 1902. 

He then returned to his old home, Oxford, and there died, 
June 14, 1908. Interment w T as made in the Justus cemetery, 
Oxford. 

April 9, 1871, David was married at Oxford to Ellen Garrity 
and to them six children were born. After her husband’s death 
Mrs. McConnell made her home at Monticello with her daugh¬ 
ter, Nellie, and there death came to her Nov. 10, 1916. Her body 


the McConnell family history 


41 


was brought to Oxford and interment made in the Justus 
cemetery. ■ 

(i) John Frederick McConnell, son of David and Ellen Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Dec. 31, 1871. When eight 
years of age he moved with his parents to Michigan City, Ind., 
where he grew to manhood. He received his education in the 
schools of that city and afterwards took a business course. 

For a number of years he was head bookkeeper for the Ford 
& Johnston Chair Co., of Michigan City; this position he resign¬ 
ed in 1917 to accept one as accountant for the Chalmers Motor 
Co., of Detroit, Mich., which position he still holds, with his 
residence at Detroit. 

October 16, 1895, he was married to Sarah Moore at her 
home in Goodland, Ind., and to them were born four children; 
three of these died in infancy. One child, 

(a) Orien Triece McConnell, survives; he was born at 
Goodland, Ind., Nov. 23, 1897. He was reared in Michigan City, 
and received his education in the public schools of that city. In 
1915 he left school to answer the call for volunteers to defend 
the Mexican border; there he remained until honorably discharg¬ 
ed, when he returned to Michigan City. At that place he had a 
position with the Hascalls & Parker Car Co., but in 1917 he 
resigned this to go with his parents to Detroit, Mich., where he 
has employment with the Chalmers Motor Co., as sales manager. 

(ii) Nellie Elizabeth Donnelly, daughter of David and Ellen 
(Garrity) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., March 3, 1873. 
With her parents she went to Michigan City and there grew to 
womanhood. She received her education in the public schools 
of that city, and at St. Mary’s school. At the latter school she 
specialized in music, and for a number of years taught piano. 
She was married Oct. 29, 1895, to Thomas C. Donnelly; they 
made their home at Monticello, Ind., and she, with her children, 
still resides there. 

Mr. Donnelly died April 14, 1914. 

To Nellie and Thomas Donnelly were born five children 
the third of whom died in infancy; the others are: 

(a) Lillian Donnelly Cover, was born at Monticello, Ind., 
Ian. 5, 1897. When twelve years of age she moved with her 
parents to Plainview, Texas, but after a year and a half returned 


42 


the McConnell family history 


to Monticello. She was graduated from the high school of that 
city in 1914 and later from the St. Ignatius Academy at Lafay¬ 
ette. She also attended business college. For three years she 
was bookkeeper at the Marshall-Field Thread Mill at Monticello, 
but this position she gave up and was married May 23, 1917, to 
Harrel E. Cover of Reynolds, Ind. Nineteen months later, Dec. 
21, 1918, Mr. Cover died of pneumonia as the result of influenza, 
and Lillian returned to Monticello where she resides with her 
mother and fills her former position with the Marshall-Field 
Thread Company. 

(b) Thomas E. Donnelly, son of Nellie and Thomas Don¬ 
nelly, was born at Monticello, Ind., April 15, 1898. After grad¬ 
uating from the Monticello high school he took employment with 
the Pennsylvania R. R. as clerk. In 1919 he was appointed agent 
at Schererville, Ind., and has since been promoted to agent at 
Stelvider, Ohio. 

(d) Merle Elizabeth Donnelly, fourth child of Nellie and 
Thomas Donnelly, was born at Monticello, Ind., April 24, 1903. 
She attended the Monticello schools, the Sacred Heart Academy 
at Ft. Wayne and the St. Lavonis school at Chicago. She has 
marked musical ability. She resides with her mother, and for 
the past four years has been employed as long distance operator 
for the Monticello Telephone Company. 

(e) David Felix Donnelly, was born in Monticello, Ind., 
Tan. 16, 1905, and is a senior in the Monticello high school. He 
resides in that city with his mother. 

(iii) Orien Owen McConnell, son of David and Ellen Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 23, 1875, and in 1879, 
moved with his parents to Michigan City; he died in that city 
in 1883, when eight years old, of diphtheria and was buried there 
in the Catholic cemetery. 

(iv) Mary Jane Kepka, daughter of David and Ellen Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 3, 1877. As a child she 
went with her parents to Michigan City, Ind., where she at¬ 
tended the city schools and St. Mary’s school. June 14, 1900, 
she was married to Frank B. Kepka; they lived in Michigan City 
two years; Marion, Ind., three years, and at Atlanta, Ga., at the 
time of her death. In June 1908 she was called to Oxford by the 
last illness of her father and while here was taken suddenly ill 


the McConnell family history 


43 


and in a few hours died. The funeral was conducted from St. 
Patrick’s church and interment made in the Catholic cemetery, 
Oxford. 

To Mary and Frank Kepka were born four children all of 
which died in infancy except the eldest. 

(a) James Franklin Kepka, was born at Marion, Ind., 
March 16, 1903. When three years old he moved with his par¬ 
ents to Atlanta, Georgia. Upon the death of his mother in 1908, 
he was cared for by his grandmother, Ellen McConnell, and his 
aunt, Philomena Cline, until 1914 when he went with his father 
to Portland, Oregon, where he still resides. 

(v) Irene McConnell and Philomena Mildred Cline, twin 
daughters of David and Ellen McConnell,, were born at Michigan 
City, Ind., Oct. 15, 1880. Irene died July 19, 1881, of cholera 
infantum, and is buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery Michigan, City. 

Philomena grew to womanhood at Michigan City; there at 
St. Mary’s school she received her education showing marked 
ability, as did also her sister Mary, as a vocal singer. Feb. 21, 
1900, she was married to Carl A. Cline of China Grove, N. C., 
for a number of years they lived in Michigan City, where he was 
employed as bookkeeper for the Ford & Johnson Chair Co.; 
when his health failed they moved to Atlanta, Ga., and later to 
China Grove, N. C., where he died of pulmonary tuberculosis 
March 2, 1908. Philomena (Phil) returned North in 1911 and 
for a time resided in Oxford, Ind., where she conducted a millin¬ 
ery shop. After a couple of years she went to Chicago where, 
with her family, she now resides. 

To Philomena and Carl Cline were born four children as 
follows: 

(a) Helen Cline Myrick, was born at Michigan City, Ind., 
Feb. 20, 1901. As a child she moved to Atlanta, Ga., with her 
parents; from there to China Grove, N. C., and, later to Oxford, 
Ind. In 1914, with her mother, she moved to Chicago; here 
she attended the St. Ambrose school and on Dec. 2, 1920, was 
married to Jack Myrick of Gallop, New Mexico, at which place 
they reside. She is the mother of one child, 

(*) Jack Myrick Jr., born in Chicago, Sept. 25, 1921. 

(b) Carl Edward Cline, was born at Michigan City, Ind., 
May 7, 1902. Lived with his parents at Atlanta, Ga., China 


44 


the McConnell family history 


Grove, N. C., Oxford, Ind., and in 1914 moved with his mother 
to Chicago where he is employed on the Nickle Plate R. R. 

(c) Philomena Mildred Cline, was born at Michigan City, 
Ind., Dec. 15, 1904, moved as a baby with her parents to At¬ 
lanta, Ga.; lived at China Grove, N. C., Oxford, Ind., and in 1914 
moved with her mother to Chicago. There she graduated from 
the St. Ambrose school in 1921 and then attended the Chicago 
School of Art. 

(d) James Fredrick Cline, was born at China Grove, N. C., 
Feb. 13, 1908. When three years of age he came with his mother 
to Oxford, Ind., and in 1914 moved with her to Chicago where 
they still reside. He is in the freshman year at the St. Ambrose 
high school. 

(C) Isaac Wilson McConnell, son of Baldwin and Jane Mc¬ 
Connell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Nov. 30, 1849. He received 
his education at the Oxford Academy, and on Oct. 3, 1872, was 
married to Mary Elizabeth White, daughter of Manley E. and 
Catherine White, also of Benton county. To them were born 
eight children, five of whom are living. 

In early life and for many years Mr. McConnell was engaged 
in the drug business, and also practiced dentistry living at Ox¬ 
ford, Ind., East Lynn, Ill., Winimac, Ind., Chattanooga, Tenn., 
and now at Indianapolis, Ind. At present he is employed as 
buyer for the McConnell Grain Corporation of Buffalo, N. Y. 

Mrs. McConnell’s death occurred at Indianapolis a few 
years ago as the result of injuries received in an automobile ac¬ 
cident, and she is buried in Crown Hill cemetery of that city. 
Since her death Mr. McConnell has made his home in Indian¬ 
apolis with his daughter, Mrs. Lottie Coneway. 

Following are the children of Isaac and Mary (Mollie) E. 
McConnell: 

(i) Forest Everton Arnett, daughter of Isaac and Mary 
(White) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Sept. 13, 1873. 
She was married in 1898 to Wm. N. Arnett, son of Samuel Ar¬ 
nett of Fortville, Hancock Co., Ind. Mr. Arnett is a graduate of 
Purdue university, and has been a pharmacist in Indianapolis 
since 1895. Forest died at Indianapolis May 1, 1919, and is 
buried in Crown Hill cemetery, at Indianapolis. She was the 
mother of two children: 


the McConnell family history 


45 


(a) Mary Elizabeth Arnett, born in Indianapolis, Ind., May 
3, 1899. She was graduated from the Shortridge high school, 
Indianapolis, and is at present a student at Butler college, a 
talented musician and a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota 
sorority. 

(b) Samuel Wilson Arnett, was born in Indianapolis Feb. 
25, 1911. 

(ii) Laura Lorena McConnell, daughter of Isaac and Mary 
E. McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Jan. 21, 1876. Died at 
Oxford about 1878, and was buried in the West cemetery. 

(iii) Lottie Acton Coneway, daughter of Isaac and Mary E. 
McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Jan. 20, 1878. She received 
a high school education, and was married to Charles Wesley 
Coneway, son of C. S. Coneway of Crown Point, Ind. Mr. Cone¬ 
way has been employed in the railway mail service since 1884, 
and they have lived in Indianapolis all their married life. Two 
children have been born to them: 

(a) Charles Wesley Coneway Jr., was born at Indianapolis, 
Ind., Feb. 26, 1903; was graduated from the Arsenal Technical 
school, Indianapolis in 1921, and at present is a student of elec¬ 
trical engineering at Purdue university. He is a member of 
Theta Chi Fraternity. 

(b) Marguerite Ethel Coneway, was born at Indianapolis, 
Sept. 29, 1905, and is a senior in the Arsenal Technical school at 
Indianapolis. 

(iv) Earl Elroy McConnell, son of Isaac and Mary (White) 
McConnell, was born at East Lynn, Ill., June 6, 1880. After he 
received his high school education he was married to Sadie 
Sweeney, who with her infant son soon passed away. Later 
he was married to Josephine Wright and to them a daughter 
was born in 1910. 

For a number of years Earl was connected with the Cleve¬ 
land Grain Co., but at present resides at Buffalo, N. Y., where 
he is president of the McConnell Grain Corporation of Buffalo. 

(v) Bessie Vera Valdenaire, daughter of Isaac and Mary 
(White) McConnell, was born Jan. 2, 1884, at East Lynn, Ill. 
She was married in Indianapolis to John Valdenaire, and they 
reside in Indianapolis where Mr. Valdenaire is in the lumber 
business and is a builder and contractor. 


46 


the McConnell family history 


(vi) Elma White Lowry, daughter of Isaac and Mary 
(White) McConnell, was born Feb. 19, 1888, at Chattanooga, 
Tenn. She was married to Herbert P. Lowry in 1905, and four 
children were born to them. They lived in Indianapolis all their 
married life, and it was there her sudden death occurred June 
22, 1923. Interment was made in Crown Hill cemetery, Indian¬ 
apolis. The children of Elma and Herbert Lowry are: 

(a) Charles Robert Lowry, born at Indianapolis, Ind., 
Nov. 11 ,1906. 

(b) Martha Lowry, born at Indianapolis, May 9, 1909. 

(c) Jean Lowry, born at Indianapolis, Oct. 22, 1910. 

(d) James Paul Lowry, born in Indianapolis, April 30, 1914. 

(vii) Catherine Frances Jackson, daughter of Isaac and 
Mary (White) McConnell, was born July 2, 1891. In 1910 she 
was married to Lloyd Everett Jackson of Indianapolis, but their 
present home is at Ft. Wayne, Indiana. To them have been 
born three children: 

(a) Richard Wayne Jackson, was born in Indianapolis, 
Ind., March 17, 1914. 

(b) Donald D. Jackson, was born Dec. 16, 1917. 

(c) Lloyd E. Jackson, was born Sept. 26, 1922. 

(viii) Myron Milton McConnell, son of Isaac and Mary 
(WTite) McConnell, was born Oct. 20, 1895; he married Irene 
Odle and one son has been born to them, 

(a) Jean McConnell. 

(D) Serena Josephine McConnell, daughter of Baldwin and 
Jane McConnell was born in Oxford, Ind., Jan. 25, 1851 ; died 
there March 29, 1852, and is buried in the McConnell cemetery. 

(E) George Washington McConnell, son of Baldwin and 
Jane McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Oct. 12, 1853; died 
Sept. 21, 1854, and is buried in the McConnell cemetery. 

(F) Perry Austin McConnell, son of Baldwin and Jane 
McConnell, and best known as ‘‘Pet,” was born at Oxford, Ind., 
Feb. 28, 1855 ; died Oct. 14, 1879, at the age of twenty-four years. 
He is buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(G) Luther Wright McConnell, son of Baldwin and Jane 
McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., April 6, 1857; died at the 
age of twenty-two years, Dec. 2, 1879. Interment was made in 
the Justus cemetery. 


the McConnell family history 


47 


(H) Fred Elmer McConnell, son of Baldwin and Jane Mc¬ 
Connell, was born Jan. 24, 1859; died Aug. 22, 1860, and was 
buried in the McConnell cemetery. 

(I) Elizabeth Lorena Gwin, daughter of Baldwin and Jane 
McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Aug. 28, 1860, and receiv¬ 
ed her schooling at the Oxford Academy. 

After teaching school a few years she was married to Ancel 
Beecher Gwin, March 11, 1882. They made Oxford their home 
until 1904, when they moved to Altus, Okla.; there Dec. 28, 
1906, occurred her death as the result of cancer. Her body was 
brought back to Oxford. The funeral service was held in the 
Methodist church of which she had long been a member, and 
interment was made in the West cemetery. 

Mr. Gwin’s death came two years later, Aug. 24, 1908, at 
Oxford, and he was buried beside his wife. 

To Elizabeth and Beecher Gw r in were born five children 
as follows: 

(i) Cora Agnes (Gwin) Cooper, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
Aug. 28, 1884. After graduating from the Oxford high school 
in 1903, she taught school at Parish Grove. Oct. 17, 1906, she 
was married to Arthur D. Cooper, a farmer of near Boswell, 
Ind.; they made their first home near Boswell, then on a farm 
at Pond Grove where her great grandfather, David McConnell, 
settled in Warren county, and on which the family graves are 
located ; and they now reside one mile north of Oxford. 

To Cora and Arthur Cooper have been born two daughters, 

(a) Sara Elizabeth Cooper, born near Boswell, Ind., Feb. 27, 
1908. Is now a sophomore in the Oxford high school. 

(b) Frances Lorene Cooper, was born near Boswell, Ind., 
Jan. 17, 1913. 

(ii) Bessie Olive (Gwin) Cooper, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
Jan. 27, 1886. She moved with her parents to Altus, Okla., and, 
after her mother’s death, kept house for her father and brothers 
in Oxford until his death. She was married Aug. 16, 1909, to 
Ambrose J. Scheetz, a farmer, of near Boswell. For a time they 
lived near Boswell, then a mile and a quarter south of town 
and are now on a farm near Templeton. Two daughters have 
been born to Bessie and Ambrose Scheetz, 

(a) Hazel Frances Scheetz, born near Boswell, Ind., Aug. 


48 


the McConnell family history 


3, 1910; died there Aug. 27, 1912, and is buried in the Boswell 
cemetery. 

(b) Mildred Helen Scheetz, born near Boswell, Ind., Aug. 
6, 1913. 

(iii) Jasper Ancel Gwin, was born at Oxford Ind., March 
20, 1889. He moved with his parents to Altus, Okla., returning 
to Oxford upon the death of his mother. He is a farmer and 
dairyman, and at present lives on a farm one mile north of Ox¬ 
ford. He was married Dec. 14, 1911, to Edith H. Cooper of 
Boswell and to them have been born three children, 

(a) Thomas Beecher Gwin, born near Boswell, Ind., April 
27, 1916. Died at Oxford, Ind., of pneumonia Feb. 9, 1917, and 
is buried in the Boswell cemetery. 

(b) Jean Eleanore Gwin, born at Oxford, Ind., May 16, 1918. 

(c) Ruth Mae Gwin, born at Oxford, Ind., May 21, 1920. 

(iv) Ralph Stein Gwin, was born at Oxford, Ind., March 
3, 1893. After the death of his parents he lived with his sisters 
until his marriage Sept. 12, 1914, to Eva Liptrap of Boswell. For 
a time they lived at Boswell, then at Oxford where he clerked in 
his uncle, O. W. Gwin’s, grocery store, and in the spring of 
1923, they moved to Springville, Ind., where he is farming. Two 
children have been born to Ralph and Eva Gwin, 

(a) Oliver Jasper Gwin, born at Boswell, Ind., Sept. 15, 1915. 

(b) Alice Fern Gwin, born in Oxford, Ind., July 15, 1917. 

(v) Lorena Alice Gwin, daughter of Elizabeth and Beecher 
Gwin, was born at Oxford, Indiana, Aug. 5, 1895; died there 
May 20, 1903, and is buried in the West cemetery. 

(J) Charles Baldwin McConnell, son of Wm. Baldwin and 
Jane McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Nov. 19, 1866. He 
received his education in the Oxford Academy, and was then 
employed as clerk in the Bank of Oxford. 

In October, 1887, he was married in the Oxford M. E. 
church to Etta Bryant, theirs being a double wedding in which 
two friends, James H. Bell and Mary Harman, were also married. 

In 1890 they went to Rochester, Ind., where Mr. McConnell 
was cashier of a bank, and later he filled the same position at 
Walkerton and Ambia, Ind. 'In 1897 they returned to Oxford 
where he was engaged in selling real estate. In 1899 they went 
to North Yakima, Washington, where he conducted a general 


the McConnell family history 


49 


merchandise store. After a few years they moved to Tacoma, 
Y\ ashington, and later to Corona, Cal., where he was cashier of 
a bank. At the present time he is president of the bank and 
resides at Corona, but is employed as a traveling salesman. 

To Charles B. and Etta McConnell were born two sons, 

(i) Jay McConnell, son of Charles B. and Etta (Bryant) 
McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 2, 1889. Attended the 
Oregon Dental college, and while playing on the football team 
of that school received injuries resulting in pulmonary tuber¬ 
culosis which caused his death at Corona, Cal., June 5, 1911. His 
body was laid to rest at Corona. 

(ii) Dee McConnell, son of Charles B. and Etta (Bryant) 
McConnell, was born in Ambia, Ind., Jan. 6, 1892. He graduated 
from the Corona high school and took a post graduate course. 
He then took employment in the Corona Bank and is now hold¬ 
ing a similar position in a bank at Los Angeles, Cal. 

March 26, 1917, he was married to Blanche Willis, and they 
are the parents of one child, 

(a) Willis Bryant McConnell, born Oct. 8, 1919. 

(K) Lottie Jane McConnell, daughter of Wm. Baldwin and 
Jane McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Jan. 10, 1871; died 
Feb. 19, 1871, and is buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(3) Lavica McConnell Lewis, third child of David and 
Polly (Moore) McConnell, was born in Adams county, Ohio, 
Feb. 22, 1827. As a small child she came with her parents to 
Indiana, finally settling at White Oak Grove (Oxford) where 
the remainder of her life was spent. 

May 28, 1850, she was married to Isaac W. Lewis, a farmer, 
and son of her sister Betsy’s husband, Thomas Lewis, and to 
them were born eight children. Mrs. McConnell was for thirty- 
five years a faithful Presbyterian; she was noted for her hospi¬ 
tality, for mothering needy children and her home was a glad 
gathering place. Death came Dec. 29, 1901, resulting from paral- 
1852, and was buried in the West cemetery. 

After her death Mr. Lewis lived on in their home until his 
death which occurred Jan. 14, 1908; he was buried beside his 
wife. Following are the children of Lavica and Isaac W. Lewis: 

(A) David William Lewis and Thomas Jasper Lewis, twin 
sons of Lavica and Isaac W. Lewis, were born on a farm near 


50 


the McConnell family history 


Oxford, Ind., July 14, 1851. David William died at Oxford in 
1852, and was buried in the West cemtery. 

Thomas Lewis grew to manhood in Oxford and married 

Clara Rawlings. One child was born to them, and Mrs. Lewis 
died Nov. 21, 1885, of pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 
twenty-five years; she is buried in the West cemetery, Oxford. 
After her death the child was cared for by his Grandmother 
Rawlings until he grew to manhood. After a time Mr. Lewis 
was married again and Mrs. Anna Rawlings, widow of \\ ill 
Rawlings, who now resides at Bloomington, Illinois. 

Mr. Lewis was for many years connected with the grain 
business having operated an elevator at Hoopeston and then at 
Ambia. Later he conducted a livery stable in Chicago and of 
recent years he w T as a traveling salesman. 

He died March 20, 1920, at the home of his son, Charley, 
in Cordell, Okla., death being due to Emdo Carditis. He was 
68 years, 8 months and 16 days old. His brother, Morris, brought 
the body back to Oxford, Ind., the funeral service was con¬ 
ducted from the Christian church, and interment was made in 
the West cemetery. 

(i) Charlie Rawlings Lewis, son of Thomas and Clara 
Lewis, was born in Oxford, Ind., about 1882. After his mother’s 
death he was cared for by his Grandmother Rawlings. He is 
married and lives at Cordell, Okla., where he is in the automobile 
business. 

(B) Mary Elizabeth Hall, daughter of Isaac W. and Lev icy 
McConnell Lewis, was born in Oxford, Indiana, Oct. 12, 1853. 
Was educated at the Oxford Academy, and married to Joseph 
R. Hall March 12, 1873. Three children blessed their union, all 
born in Oxford, Indiana. She, with her husband and children, 
moved to Kokomo, Ind., Sept. 1887,, where he husband engaged 
in the lumber business and real estate until Sept. 1891. They 
then moved to Indianapolis where the entire family united with 
the Tabernacle Presbyterian church. After several weeks’ illness 
with kidney trouble she passed away on Sept. 24, 1907, and her 
remains were laid to rest in Crown Hill cemetery, Indianapolis. 

(i) Charles Edgar Hall, son of Joseph R. and Mary E. Hall, 
was born March 10, 1874. Had a common school and commer¬ 
cial education. Has filled several positions of trust and honor. 


the McConnell family history 


51 


and is president of the Hall-Neal Furnace Company, Indianap¬ 
olis, Ind. Married Grace McCune June 9, 1897. They have one 
daughter, 

(a) Marrion Virginia Boone, born Sept. 14, 1902. She was 
graduated from Tudor Hall School for Girls June 2, 1920, and 
was married to Fred Sawtelle Boone Jr., Feb. 3, 1923. 

(ii ) Etha May Krug, daughter of Joseph R. and Mary E. 
Hall, was born April 19, 1877. Was graduated from Tudor Hall 
School for Girls in 1896. Was married to Doctor Henry Stewart 
Krug Oct. 22, 1898. They immediately went to St. Louis, Mo., 
where Doctor Krug and Doctor McClain organized the McClain 
Orthopaedic Sanitarium for the cure of crippled and deformed 
children, which, under the direction of Doctor Krug, has grown 
to be the largest institution of its kind in the world. Doctor and 
Mrs. Krug have three children, all born in St. Louis, Mo. They 
are: , 

(a) Fred Hall Krug, was born Aug. 18, 1899. 

(b) Lewis Stewart Krug, was born Dec. 5, 1901. 

(c) Henry S. Krug Jr., was born Oct. 21, 1909. 

(iii) Joseph Emmett Hall, son of Joseph R. and Mary E. 
Hall, was born January 8, 1884. Was graduated from Short- 
ridge high school, Indianapolis in 1901. In 1906 graduated from 
Purdue University, as civil engineer, and is president of the Hall 
Construction Company, Indianapolis. Married Marrion W. 
Milne of Chicago, Ill., March 16, 1912, who graduated from Chi¬ 
cago University in 1907. They have one son, 

(a) Gordon Emmett Hall, born Nov. 24, 1914, at Indian¬ 
apolis, Ind. 

(C) Hamer Wattles Lewis, son of Lavica and Isaac W. 
Lewis, was born on a farm near Oxford, Ind., Oct. 13, 1855. He 
received his schooling at Oxford Academy, and was married at 
Oxford, Ind., Jan. 9, 1876, to Mary Jane Julian, who was born at 
Independence, Ind., March 20, 1859. They have made their 
home at various places, but about ten years ago Mrs. Lewis fell 
heir to a large farm near Williamsport through her uncle, Wil¬ 
liam Smith, and since that time this farm has been their home. 

Eight children were born to Hamer and Mary (Mollie) 
Lewis as follows: 

(i) William C. Lewis, was born at Oxford, Ind., Oct. 26, 


52 


the McConnell family history 


1876. He attended school at Swanington and Oxford; was mar¬ 
ried to Mary Dickens at Oxford, and three children were born 
to them, 

(a) Freda Wanita Lewis, born at Oxford, Ind., in 1896. 

(b) Russell Lewis, born at Oxford, Ind., in 1898. 

(c) Bertram Lewis, born at Oxford, Ind., in 1900. 

Mr. Lewis is married a second time and lives at Fort Dodge, 
Iowa, where he is a blacksmith. 

(ii) Guy Walter Lewis, was born at Oxford, Ind., June 17, 
1879. In 1900 he was married to Hattie Wayman of Medora, 
Ind., and there children were born to them. Guy died in Indian¬ 
apolis in December 1911. The children of Guy and Hattie Lewis 
are: 

(a) Evelyn Lewis, born in 1900. 

(b) Mary Jane Lewis, born in 1907. 

(c) Lawrence Lewis, born in 1909. 

(iii) Della Josephine (Lewis) Dubanks, was born in Ox¬ 
ford, Ind., April 12, 1881. For many years she made her home 
with her grandparents, Lavica and Isaac W. Lewis. She was 
married to Frank Dubanks of Kankakee, Illinois. 

(iv) Mayme (Lewis) Schinner, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
July 20, 1883. She graduated from the grade school at Oxford 
and from the high school at Columbus, Ind. She was married 
to George Schinner of Columbus, Ind., in 1900. She has since 
made her home in Columbus but expects to go this fall to live 
in Chicago with her daughters. 

Five children were born to Mayme and George Schinner as 
follows: 

(a) Thelma Schinner, born at Columbus, Ind., Sept. 22, 
1901, graduated from the Columbus high school and as a nurse 
from the Lakeside Hospital, Chicago. Is night superintendent 
of the City Hospital at Woodstock, Illinois. 

(b) Josephine Schinner, born in Columbus, Ind., Feb. 17, 
1904; graduated from the Columbus high school and from the 
Lakeside Hospital, Chicago, as a nurse. 

(c) Georgia Schinner, born in Columbus, Ind., Feb. 7, 1906; 
graduated from the Columbus high school and now in nurses’ 
training at the Lakeside Hospital, Chicago. 


the McConnell family history 


53 


(d) Lewis Schinner, was born in Columbus, Ind., June 26, 
1908, and that is his present home. 

(e) Rosalie Schinner, born in Columbus, Ind., Dec. 26, 1911, 
and lives with her mother. 

(v) Jennie V. (Lewis) Brown, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
Dec. 20, 1887. She attended college at Valparaiso, Ind., and was 
married to Harry Brown, a musician, of Indianapolis, where they 
reside. Two children have been born to them, 

(a) Juanita Marie, born in Indianapolis, May 18, 1911. 

(b) Harry Lewis Brown Jr., born in Indianapolis, Jan. 
28, 1922. 

(vi) Fred Isaac Lewis, was born in Oxford, Ind., May 7, 
1890; was married to Hazel Mundy of Mt. Carmel, Ill., Fred 
was a soldier in the World War and is now located at Fort 
Dodge, Iowa, where he is employed as a barber. He is the father 
of one child, 

(a) Isabella Lewis, born June, 1911. 

(vii) Lottie Marie (Lewis) Calvert, was born in Otterbein, 
Ind., May 21, 1894. She was married to R. C. Calvert of Indian¬ 
apolis, a soldier of the World War; he is an electrician and they 
reside at Chicago. 

(viii) Joe Emmet Lewis, was born in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
2, 1897. Fie was married to Blanche Fullenlove of Williamsport. 
Joe was a soldier of the World War, and, upon his discharge at 
the close of the war, was a farmer until he was appointed post¬ 
master at Williamsport, which office he still holds. 

(D) Morse Homer Lewis, son of Lavica and Isaac W. 
Lewis, was born on a farm near Oxford, Ind., Dec. 28, 1857. He 
attended the Oxford Academy and Valparaiso Business college. 
Fie worked on the farm until grown to manhood and then man¬ 
aged the Oxford Grain Elevator. 

In 1887 he went to Hoopeston, Ill., and that place has since 
been his home. There he first engaged in the lumber business 
in partnership with Ham Finley; of late years he has been a 
contractor for brick and cement paving, stone and gravel roads. 
He also has farming interests. 

Feb. 4, 1890, at Hoopeston, Ill., he was married to Jennie 
Lillian Evans of Hoopeston. Mrs. Lewis was born at Winona, 
111., Sept. 27, 1873, and died at Hoopeston, Feb. 6, 1823, of 



54 


the McConnell family history 


Bright’s disease. Burial was made at Hoopeston. Since her 
death Mr. Lewis and his daughter, Helen, have made their home 
together at Hoopeston. 

To Morse and Lillian Lewis were born two daughters as 
follows: 

(i) Helen Amanda (Lewis) Baltz, was born at Hoopeston, 
Ill., Dec. 24, 1890. She received her schooling at that place, and 
Feb. 20, 1909, was married at Joliet, Ill., to Frank Baltz, also of 
Hoopeston. For seven years they made their home in Utah, 
first at Ogden and then at Logan. There Aug. 16, 1922 occurred 
Mr. Baltz’s death after a long illness of typhoid fever; the body 
was brought back and buried at Hoopeston. Since his death 
Helen has resided with her father, Morse Lewis, at Hoopeston. 
To Helen and Frank Baltz was born one son, 

(a) Lewis Baltz, born at Denver, Col., in 1910. 

(ii) Lillian Lavica (Lewis) Earl, was born at Hoopeston, 
Ill., Oct. 18, 1896. She received her education in the Hoopeston 
schools, at Ward Belmont in Term., and at Northwestern Uni¬ 
versity, Chicago. Dec. 30, 1919, she was married at Hoopeston 
to Dr. Fred E. Earl of that place and they continue to reside 
there. To them has been born one child, 

(a) Cecelia Marian Earl, born in Hoopeston, Ill., June 3, 
1922. 

(E) Sarah Josephine Brunton, daughter of Lavica and 
Isaac W. Lewis, was born on a farm near Oxford, Ind., April 
3, 1860. She attended the Oxford Academy and taught school 
both before and after her marriage to John P. Brunton, Jan. 
1, 1889. Mr. Brunton was a school teacher, and later a dentist. 
They made their home at Boswell and then moved to Gas City. 
It was while living there that her death occurred at an Indian¬ 
apolis hospital following an operation for the removal of a 
tumor. The body was brought to Oxford, and interment made 
in the West cemetery. Josie was a staunch Presbyterian and a 
member of the Order of Eastern Star. 

(F) Frank Moore Lewis, son of Lavica and Isaac W. 
Lewis, was born on a farm one mile north of Oxford, Ind., Sept. 
12, 1862. He attended the Oxford Academy and took a business 
course at Valparaiso. October 3, 1888, at Rensselaer, Ind., he 
was married to Frances Amanda Paris,, who was born in Marion 


the McConnell family history 


55 


county and had for three years previous to her marriage, been 
a teacher in the Oxford schools. Rev. R. S. Dwiggins officiated 
at the ceremony. 

For seven years Frank farmed near Oxford; from 1895 to 
1898 he dealt in real estate at Brooklyn, N. Y., farmed near Ox¬ 
ford from 1901 to 1906, and in the spring of 1906 went to Lang- 
don, Alberta, Canada, and they became British subjects in 1912. 

Since going to Canada they have continued to live on the 
same farm, and during their stay there have increased their hold¬ 
ings until now they own 2,400 acres of fertile land. 

Frank is a member of the Masonic order, and Mrs. Lewis of 
the Order of Eastern Star. They are the parents of one child, 
bclrn at Rensselaer, Ind., May 8, 1891, and which died at birth. 

I (G) Jennie A. Hawkins, daughter of Lavica and Isaac W. 
L^vvis, was born on a farm near Oxford, Ind., Feb. 16, 1869. 
She was married at Oxford Feb. 17, 1895, to Wilber Hawkins 
(born June 6, 1869)), Rev. D. R. Burr officiating. Mr. Hawkins 
was a farmer and grain dealer until ill health forced him to re¬ 
tire from business; they then lived in Oxford for several years, 
but have lived at Fowler, Ind., for about twenty years. 

(4) Jasper Newton McConnell, fourth child of David and* 
Polly (Moore) McConnell, was born June 10, 1828. When he 
was but an infant his parents moved to Indiana, his mother car¬ 
rying him in her arms on horseback the entire journey. He re¬ 
ceived his schooling in an abandoned building which stood where 
the Justus cemetery is now located, with his uncle, Samuel Mc¬ 
Connell, as teacher; and also under his brother Baldwin at the 
Boynton school. Like all of his brothers his education did not 
stop with his schooling; they were all keenly interested in life, 
and they kept abreast of the times through their daily papers 
which they read attentively and intelligently. 

Jasper worked on his father’s farm until he attained his ma¬ 
jority; he then bought land adjoining that of his father, and on 
Nov. 17, 1853, was married to Sallie Mary Wilson (Aunt Sade), 
who was born near Chillecothe, Highland county, Ohio, Nov. 3, 
1836. Besides farming he engaged for a time in the grocery busi¬ 
ness in a building which stood at the north end of the east side 
of the square. 

He served a long time as town trustee; was a member for 


56 the McConnell family history 

many years of the board of directors of the Oxford Academy, 
being on that board at the time the Academy was constructed; 
and he, in partnership with Joseph Heath Sr., built what was 
known as the Opera Block on the north side of the square at 
the east end. 

Like his father and brothers he was a staunch Democrat, 
and he often said that he, like his father, was a “brother-in-law 
of the Presbyterian church.” 

To Jasper N. and Sallie McConnell were born fourteen 
children, as follows: 

(A) Mary Mariah Janes, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Dec. 12, 1854, 
and her entire life was spent at that place. She attended the 
Oxford Academy, and was married May 21, 1874, to Henry J. 
Janes (born in Brighton, England, Jan. 4, 1850). 

Mr. Janes was station agent for the L. E. & W. R. R. at 
Oxford for over thirty years; his death occurred June 23, 1902, 
and interment was made in the Justus cemetery. 

Mrs. Janes was a member of the Presbyterian church hav¬ 
ing joined March 19, 1887, during the pastorate of Rev. C. T. 
White. Her death came at her home in Oxford Nov. 17, 1909, 
being due to paralysis. Funeral services were held at the Pres¬ 
byterian church, and interment made in the Justus cemetery. 

To Mariah (Rie) and Henry Janes were born six daughters, 
as follows: 

(i) Edith Belle (Janes) Law, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
May 2, 1876, and she has always lived in or near that place. She 
graduated from the Oxford high school in 1895, and united with 
the Presbyterian church December, 1887, under the pastorate of 
Rev. C. T. White. March 28, 1899, she was married to James 
Arthur Law (born near Marietta, Ind., Aug. 28, 1875) ; he is a 
farmer, and they reside on a farm in the “Greenwood Settle¬ 
ment,” northwest of Oxford. 

To Edith and Arthur Law have been born four children, as 
follows: 

(a) Jasper Henry Law, was born on a farm northwest of 
Oxford Sept. 21, 1900. He graduated from the Oxford high 
school in 1918; he then took a secretarial course at the Lafayette 

Business college, and is studying piano and voice at the La- 


the McConnell family history 


57 


fayette Conservatory of Music. In 1920 he accepted a position 
with the Western Indiana Gravel Co., and at the present time he 
is in that company’s main office at Lafayette. He became a 
member of the Presbyterian church in 1911. 

(b) Arthur Emmet Law, was born in Oxford, Ind., Nov. 
24, 1902, and received his education in the grade schools of the 
township. He is a farmer, and a good judge of live stock. He 
united with the Presbyterian church in 1911. 

(c) Mildred Marie Law, was born in Oxford, Ind., April 2, 
1906. She received her education in the rural and Oxford grade 
schools and is now a junior in the Oxford high school. She 
united with the Presbyterian church March 25, 1917. 

(d) Doris Elizabeth Law, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 

5, 1910, and is in the Oxford grade school. She became a mem¬ 
ber of the Presbyterian church March 25, 1917. 

(ii) Eva Claire (Janes) Greenwood, was born in Oxford, 
Ind., November 22, 1878. She graduated from the Oxford high 
school in 1897, and was married to Walter F. Greenwood (born 
July 26, 1879), Sept. 16, 1900. They made their home in Oxford 
where he was in the lumber business until in 1907, when fail¬ 
ing health forced him to see another climate. The family locat¬ 
ed at French, N. M., but her death came two years later, Dec. 

6, 1909, at the Oaks Home Hospital, Denver Col., from an acute 
attack of Bright’s disease. Her body was brought back to Ox¬ 
ford, the funeral service held from the Presbyterian church, of 
which she became a member under Rev. C. T. White, and inter¬ 
ment made in the Justus cemetery. 

Two sons were born to Claire and Walter F. Greenwood, 

(a) Ermal Janes Greenwood, born at Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
3, 1901. Lived in various towns in New Mexico and Oklahoma, 
and in 1920 with his father’s family returned to Indiana, and 
now lives with them on a farm near Linden. He united with the 
M. E. church at Kirkpatrick in 1921. 

(b) Richard Marene Greenwood, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
June 21, 1906. After his mother’s death in Denver, Col., he was 
brought back to Indiana and cared for by his father’s sisters. 
He returned to his father in New Mexico, Sept. 5, 1910; in 1920 
he again came to Indiana, and now lives with his father’s family 
on a farm near Linden, Indiana. He is a sophomore in the Lin- 


58 


the McConnell family history 


den high school and became a member of the M. E. church at 
Kirkpatrick, Ind., in 1921. 

(iii) Lucy Daisy (Janes) Darby, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
Feb. 20, 1881; she received her education in the Oxford grade 
school. May 14, 1902, she was married to James Clinton Darby 
(born May 5, 1882). They own and live on the farm north of 
Otterbein, Ind., where he was born. Mrs. Darby united with the 
Oxford Presbyterian church during the pastorate of Rev. C. T. 
White. Four children have been born to Lucy and Clinton 
Darby as follows: 

(a) James Ralph Darby, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 
23, 1903. He graduated from the Otterbein high school in 1921, 
and is now a junior at Purdue university where he is taking a 
course in agriculture. Ralph united with the Oxford Presby¬ 
terian church in 1921. 

(b) Mary Elma Darby was born on a farm north of Otter¬ 
bein, Dec. 14, 1905. She is a senior in the Otterbein high school 
and became a member of the Oxford Presbyterian church in 1921. 

(c) Claire Eleanor Darby, was born Nov. 2, 1908, and died 
June 19, 1911, of an acuate attack of colitis. She was buried in 
the Justus cemetery, Oxford. 

(d) Lucy Virginia Darby, was born on a farm north of 
Otterbein, April 3, 1911. She united with the Oxford Presby¬ 
terian church in 1921, and is receiving her education in the Otter¬ 
bein schools and at the Lafayette Conservatory of Music. 

(iv) Edna May Janes, born July 15, 1887, and died at birth. 

(v) .Bessie Janes, born Aug. 5, 1888, and died at birth. Both 
she and Edna May Janes are buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(vi) Josephine Marie (Janes) Greenwood, daughter of Ma- 
riah and Henry Janes, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 24, 1894. 
After the death of her mother in 1909 she made her home north 
of Otterbein with her sister, Lucy Darby. She attended the Ox¬ 
ford grade school, and graduated from the Otterbein high school 
in 1913. Jan. 7, 1914, she was united in marriage with Walter 
F. Greenwood, who had formerly been married to her sister, 
Claire. They lived in New Mexico and Oklahoma until 1920 
when they returned to Indiana, and are now living on a farm 

A 

near Linden, Indiana. Marie is a member of the Oxford Pres¬ 
byterian church. 


the McConnell family history 


59 


Lliree sons have been born to Marie and Walter F. Green¬ 
wood : 

(a) Delbert Samuel Greenwood, born at Rov, N. M., March 

31, 1917. 

(b) Randall Greenwood, born near Salasaw, Okla., Aug. 
14, 1920; died in infancy, and buried at Salasaw. 

(c) Ralph Emmet Greenwood, was born near Kirkpatrick, 
Ind., Feb. 16, 1921. 

Virginia Josephine Steele, daughter of Jasper N. and 
Sallie (Wilson) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Sept. 20, 
1856. She attended the Oxford Academy and taught school for 
three years. She is an active worker of the Oxford Presbyterian 
church, having become a member April 20, 1884. She is also 
a member of the Oxford Library Board, of the Pythian Sisters, 
the Order of Eastern Star, and of the Old Academy Chapter, 
D. A. R. 

August 18, 1880, she was married to Edwin Clark Steele 
(born at Winchester, Ind., Feb. 18, 1854). For two years they 
lived at Troy, Ohio, and upon returning to Oxford he engaged 
in the hardware and plumbing business for twenty-four years. 
His death occurred April 1, 1916, of arterio sclerosis and inter¬ 
ment was made in the Justus cemetery. Since his death Mrs. 
Steele has been living alone in her own home. 

To Josie and Clark Steele was born one son, 

(i) Roy L. Steele, born at Troy, Ohio, May 16, 1881. He 
united with the Oxford Presbyterian church Nov. 21, 1894. 
Graduated from the Oxford high school in 1900, and from the 
pharmarcy department, Purdue University. Was a traveling 
drug salesman over the west for a number of years, but has 
lived on a farm south of Templeton, Ind., for the past eight 
years. 

Feb. 10, 1915, at Fowler, Ind., he was married to Mary Ethel 
Pleath, and to them has been born one child, 

(a) Virginia Ann Steele, born at the Home hospital, La¬ 
fayette, Ind., Sept. 28, 1918. 

(C) Walker Elwood McConnell, son of Jaspeh N. and 
Sallie (Wilson) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Aug. 2, 
1858. His first schooling was in a log and frame building located 
where Messner and Sons’ Dry Goods store now stands. Later 


60 


the McConnell family history 


he attended school in a building that stood on the site of the 
old Presbyterian church. He helped to build the old Oxford 
Academy, then finished his schooling in that institution. 

On March 31, 1881, he was married to Minnie Bertha Henry 
of Sandusky, Ohio, (born Aug. 9, 1860). 

He worked on his father’s farm until he was twenty-two 
years of age, and on March 4, 1883, began working as station 
agent at Oxford for the C. & E. I. R. R. This position he held 
for eighteen years, and on Oct. 1, 1901, resigned and moved to 
Lafayette, Ind., where he worked in the claim department, 
jointly for the L. E. & W. and Big Four railways. He held this 
position for seven years when ill health forced him for three 
years to forego all work. His health then improving he was 
station agent and operator at Talbot, Ind., for five years, and 
at the end of that time was transferred in like capacity to Day- 
ton, Ind., which position he is still holding. 

He is a member of the Presbyterian church. 

To Walker and Bertha McConnell was born one son, 

(i) Emmet McConnell, born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 20, 1882. 
Graduated from the Oxford high school in 1900; learned teleg¬ 
raphy under his father. Was relief agent at Mecca, Ind., reg¬ 
ular tower man at Oxford, Ind., for three years; in August, 
1902, moved to Lafayette, where he was operator for the L. E. 
& W. and Big Four, Railroads, jointly. Promoted to Car Dis¬ 
tributor for the L. E. & W. R. R.; in 1903 became operator for 
the C. I. & L. R. R.; was promoted to Train Dispatcher, and is 
now Assistant Chief Dispatcher. 

Dec. 31, 1901, he was married to Carrie L. Woodhams (born 
June 30, 1882), and to them has been born one child, 

(a) Louise McConnell, born at Lafayette, Ind., June 2, 
1906; graduated in 1923 from the Jefferson high school, La¬ 
fayette. 

(D) Frank Wilson McConnell, son of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Dec. 26, 1860, 
and died of scarlet fever Feb. 11, 1864. Was buried in the Justus 
cemetery. 

(E) Bessie Belle McConnell, daughter of Jasper N. and 
Sallie (Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 14, 


the McConnell family history 


61 


1863; died of spinal Meningitis May 12, 1869. Buried in the 
Justus cemetery. 

(F.) Laura McConnell, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born Aug. 26, 1865, and died at birth. 
Was buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(G) Eva Clara Sleeper, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Sept. 6, 1866. 
Attended the Oxford Academy. She is a member of the Oxford 
M. E. church and of the Order of Eastern Star. Dec. 29, 1896, 
she was married to Joseph Furnas Sleeper (born at Bridgeport, 
Ind., May 7, 1847). Mr. Sleeper was engaged in the real estate 
business and in managing his farms near Oxford until his death 
which resulted from cancer of the eye Oct. 18, 1921. He is buried 
in the West cemetery, Oxford. Since his death Mrs. Sleeper has 
been living alone in her own home. 

To Eva and Joseph Sleeper was born one child, 

(i) Joseph Lyndall Sleeper, born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 5, 
1903; died Feb. 6, 1903, and was buried in the West cemetery. 

(H) Ida Jane McConnell, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Dec. 18, 1868; 
died May 21, 1869, of spinal meningitis, and was buried in the 
Justus cemetery. 

(I) Lucy Wilkins, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie (Wil¬ 
son) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., July 28, 1870. She 
attended the Oxford Academy; April 20, 1884, she united with 
the Oxford Presbyterian church and is one of its most active 
members. She is a Pythian Sister and a member of the Eastern 
Star. She was united in marriage Oct. 29, 1893, to Oscar B. 
Wilkins, a druggist (born at Harveysburg, Fountin county, Ind., 
Feb. 23, 1869) ; they reside in Oxford where Mr. Wilkins has 
conducted a drug store for thirty-one years (Feb. 1892). 

To Lucy and Oscar Wilkins were born three children as 
follows: 

(i) Ronald Brenton Wilkins, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
Sept. 19, 1894. He graduated from the Oxford high school in 
1912 and from the Pharmacy department, Purdue University in 
1916. Was employed in the laboratories of the Goodrich Rubber 
Co., and later was a traveling salesman for that company. 

At the entrance of the U. S. into the World War he re- 


62 


the McConnell family history 


signed his position and entered the service at Akron, Ohio, 
March 25, 1918, as a private in the gas defense section, chemical 
warfare corps. He was stationed at Canton, Mass., for a time, 
and later at Long Island, N. Y., Feb. 10, 1919, he was honorably 
discharged from the service as a private, and returned to his 
former occupation at Akron. Following this, two years were 
spent in Oxford in his father’s drug store, and in May, 1923, he 
took up salesmanship with the Eli Lilly Drug Co., of Indianap¬ 
olis, with headquarters at Logansport, Ind. 

He is a member of the Presbyterian church, is a Alason and 
a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. 

(ii) Kenneth Warren Wilkins, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
Sept. 2, 1898. He graduated from the Oxford high school in 
1916, and then clerked in his father’s drug store until Oct. 9, 
1918, when he enlisted as a private in the S. A. T. C. at La¬ 
fayette, Ind., and was assigned to Co. 2, Purdue S. A. T. C., 
where he received all his training. He was honorably discharged 
Dec. 19, 1918, and returned to Oxford. At present he is a farmer, 
living west of Oxford, and is in the mail service as a rural car¬ 
rier on Route No. 1. 

Sept. 16, 1920, he was married to Nettie Johnson (born Dec. 
20, 1897), and to them has been born one child, 

(a) Rosemary Wilkins, born at the Home hospital, Lafay¬ 
ette, Dec. 27, 1922. 

(iii) Mary Ethelyn Wilkins, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
Feb. 9, 1907. She is a member of the Oxford Presbyterian 
church, of the National Order of Camp Fire Girls; is a senior 
in the Oxford high school, and a student of the violin and piano 
at the Artists Studio, Lafayette. 

(J) Nettie McConnell, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Jan. 9, 1873, and 
died at birth; was buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(K) Ralph Wilbur McConnell, son of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Nov. 20, 1876. 
After graduating from the Oxford high school in 1895, he attend¬ 
ed Indiana University and graduated from the Indiana Law 
school at Indianapolis in 1901. In partnership with his brother- 
in-law, J. F. Sleeper, he practiced law at Oxford until Oct. 22, 


the McConnell family history 


63 


1917, when he moved to Kewanna, Ind., where he is engaged in 
the lumber business. 


Nov. 13, 1887, he united with the Oxford Presbtyerian 
church, but there being no church of that denomination in Ke¬ 
wanna his entire family placed their letters in the M. E. church 
upon moving there. He is a Mason and a member of the Sigma 
Nu Fraternity. 

October Zb, 1909, he was married at Goodland, lnd., to Lela 
M. Banes of that place and to them two children have been born, 

(i) Margaret Isabelle McConnell, born in Oxford, Ind., 

Nov. 3, 1910; is in the grade school at Kewanna, Ind. 

(ii) Joseph Wilson McConnell, born at Goodland, Ind., 

Dec. 4, 1911 ; attending the Kewanna grade school. 

(L) Warren Sanford McConnell, son of Jasper N and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Oct. 5, 1878. 

He graduated from the Oxford high school in 1895; attended 
Indiana University, the Indiana Law school and took a course 
in telegraphy at Valparaiso. Was stationed as operator on night 0 
duty at Templeton for some time; was superintendent of the ^ 
Raub, Ind., schools for a number of years, and has for about 
fourteen years been station agent and operator at Raub for the 
Big Four R. R. He is a member of the Oxford Presbyterian 
church, having joined April 2, 1891; of the Sigma Nu Fraternity 
and is a Mason. 


June 24, 1908, he was married at Kentland, Ind., to Iva M. 
Booty of Raub (born Dec. 17, 1889) and to them have been born 
two sons, 

(i) Sanford Peter McConnell, born at Raub, Ind., Nov. 25, 
1909; died at birth, and was buried in the Justus cemetery, Ox¬ 
ford. 

(ii) Charles Kenneth McConnell, w T as born at Raub, Ind., 
Sept. 5, 1912, and is attending the Raub grade schools. 

(M) Inez Baldwin Duffy, daughter of Jasper N. and Sallie 
(Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Sept. 22, 1879. 
She was graduated from the Oxford high school in 1897, and 
taught school for six years. Oct. 24, 1906, she was married to 
Bazil Emmet Duffy (born Nov. 9, 1879). He was at that time 
engaged in the grain business at Otterbein in partnership with 
his father, Michael Duffy, and D. A. Harrington, and there they 



64 


the McConnell family history 


made their home until the spring of 1912, when they moved to 
the farm four miles southeast of Oxford where they still reside. 
She united with the Presbyterian church at Oxford April 12, 
1891, and is an active worker. 

To Inez and Emmet Duffy have been born two sons, 

(i) Robert Emmet Duffy, born at Otterbein, Ind., Oct. 23, 
1907; he united with the Oxford Presbyterian church in March, 
1920, and is a junior in the Oxford high school. 

(ii) Donald David Duffy, was born at Otterbein, Ind., Jan. 
18, 1911 ; he united with the Oxford Presbyterian church in 
March 1920, and is in the Oxford grade school. 

(N) Ethel Gordon Bartindale, daughter of Jasper N. and 
Sallie (Wilson) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 13, 
1882. She graduated from the Oxford high school in 1901, and 
united with the Oxford Presbyterian church Nov. 21, 1894; she 
is at present Worthy Matron of Oak Grove Chapter, No. 128, 
Order of Eastern Star. 

January 19, 1913, in the Presbyterian church, she was mar¬ 
ried to H. Earl Bartindale (born Nov. 27, 1878, north of Otter¬ 
bein, Ind.) ; he is in the mail service as rural carrier and con¬ 
ducts the ice business at Oxford where they reside. 

To Ethel and Earl Bartindale have been born three children, 

(i) Rosaline Inez Bartindale, born in Oxford, Ind., Dec. 23, 
1913; died Dec. 26, 1913, and is buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(ii) Roger Earl Bartindale was born in Oxford, Ind., Sept. 
26, 1915; is in the Oxford grade school. 

(iii) Richard McConnell Bartindale, was born in Oxford, 
Ind., June 12, 1917. 

(5) David Jackson McConnell, fifth child of David and 
Polly (Moore) McConnell, was born near Covington, Fountain 
county, Ind., May 22, 1830. He came with his parents first to 
Pond Grove, Warren county, and later to White Oak Grove, 
Benton county. Here he grew to manhood and became a farmer, 
and here he spent the remainder of his life until death came Jan¬ 
uary 8, 1906, as the result of paralysis. March 27, 1850, he was 
married to Mary Savinah Howard at Oxford, Wm. Cochran 
officiating, and for many years they resided in the old Howard 
home east of the C. & E. I. R. R.; later they built them a house 
near Rommel’s grove, and there both of their death’s occurred. 


the McConnell family history 


65 


Mrs. McConnell was born August 10, 1832; died July 12, 1906, 
just six months after her husband’s death. Both were laid to 
rest in the Justus cemetery. To Jack and Mary (Howard) Mc¬ 
Connell were born eight children as follows: 

(A) Elizabeth Leoline Akers, daughter of Jackson and 
Mary (Howard) McConnell, was born May 5, 1852, and was mar¬ 
ried to Joseph Frederick Akers January 16, 1878. They have 
spent most of their lives on the farm, but some years ago re¬ 
tired from active work and moved to Oxford. They are the 
parents of six children, 

(i) George Warren Akers, was born near Oxford, Ind., 
Oct. 5, 1878. He was married to Mary Olive Morris (born Nov. 
17, 1878) at Crawfordsville, Ind., Sept. 11,. 1904, and they have 
since made Oxford their home. Their children are: 

(a) Oren Deloss, born in Cass county, Ind., June 20, 1905. 

(b) Roy Joseph, born March 2, 1908. 

(c) Elizabeth Jeannette, born May 28, 1911. 

(ii) Maud May (Akers) Taylor, was born near Oxford, 
Ind., Sept. 4, 1880. She was married August 17, 1902, at Ox¬ 
ford to Alvin C. Taylor, a farmer. For a number of years they 
lived near Oxford, but in 1919, went to Minatare, Neb., where 
they still reside. To them was born one child, 

(a) Raymond Taylor, who died in infancy. 

(iii) Mary Lavinah Durflinger, daughter of Leoline and 
Joseph Akers, was born near Oxford, Ind., Oct. 18, 1883. Sept. 
28, 1902, she was married to Jacob W. Durflinger and they re¬ 
sided on farms near Oxford until her death which occurred at 
the home of her parents in Oxford, June 26, 1922, as the result 
of scarlet fever. Following are the children of Mary L. (Mayme) 
and Jacob Durflinger: 

(a) Mabel Gertrude Durflinger, born near Oxford, Jan. 
19, 1903. 

(b) Lora Belle Durflinger, born near Oxford April 28, 1905. 

(c) Katherine Elizabeth Durflinger, born near Oxford, 
Dec. 15, 1907. 

(d) Earl J. Durflinger, born near Oxford, April 29, 1910. 

(e) Wilma Mary Durflinger, born near Oxford July 22, 1912. 

(f) Elsie Pearl Durflinger, born near Oxford May 22, 1914. 


66 


the McConnell family history 


(g) Mary Lavina Durflinger, born near Oxford June 17, 
1919. 

(h) Lelia Maxine Durflinger, born near Oxford March 24, 

1921. 

(iv) Lorrie Elizabeth Akers, daughter of Leoline (Lina) 
and Joseph Akers, was born July 22, 1886, and died May 17, 1887. 

(v) Cora Leland Critzer, daughter of Leoline and Joseph 
Akers, was born near Oxford, Ind., Feb. 20, 1889. . Sept. 18, 1907, 
at Fowler, Ind., she was married to Eli Critzer, a farmer-me¬ 
chanic. Most of their married life has been spent in and near 
Templeton, Ind., where the following children were born: 

(a) Frances Elizabeth Critzer, was born July 4, 1911. 

(b) Charles Delmer Critzer, was born April 21, 1913. 

(c) Willa May Critzer, was born Feb. 14, 1914. 

(d) William Fredrick Critzer, was born March 26, 1919. 

(e) Leland Criter, was born Sept. 19, 1921 ; died June 16, 

1922. 

(f) Vivian Alice Critzer, was born Nov. 4, 1922. 

(vi) Oma Blanche Hyatt, daughter of Leoline and Joseph 
Akers, was born near Oxford, Ind., Feb. 26, 1892. She was 
married at Fowler, Ind., Dec. 14, 1911, to Earl Wilson Hyatt, 
a farmer. They lived near Oxford until the spring of 1922 when 
they moved to a farm at Kirkpatrick, Ind., and there they reside 
at present. 

(B) Mary Frances Waldrip, daughter of Jackson and Mary 
(Howard) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., May 28, 1855, 
and was married March 25, 1881, to Isaac L. Waldrip. She re¬ 
sides in Oxford in the old Howard home. Her children are: 

(i) Nellie May Birch, who was born at Oxford, Ind., Dec. 
21, 1882. For a number of years she was employed in the office 
of the Oxford Telephone Co., and June 16, 19—, at Oxford was 
married to George F. Birch of Crawfordsville, Ind. They are 
at present living at Peekskill, New York, and Mr. Birch is em¬ 
ployed in New York City as telephonic engineer in the main 
office of the Bell company. 

(ii) Ray Waldrip and Burt J. Waldrip, twins, were born 
Jan. 13, 1886. Ray died Jan. 17, 1886, and is buried in the Justus 
cemetery. Burt J. was married to Mabel May Nattinger at Earl 
Park, Ind., May 4, 1910. Burt is a farmer and moved this spring 


the McConnell family history 


67 


(1923) from Benton county to a farm near Ladoga, Indiana. Two 
children have been born to Burt and Mabel Waldrip, 

(a) Helen May Waldrip, born June 19, 1911. 

(b) Dale H. Waldrip, born April 30, 1913. 

(iii) Edna Clair Stembel, daughter of Frances (Frank) 
Waldrip, was born at Oxford, Ind., Aug. 16, 1889. She was mar¬ 
ried to Ralph Stembel, a farmer, Jan. 1, 1911, at Oxford, Ind., and 
they live on a farm near Fowler, Ind. Three children have been 
born to them, 

(a) Glen Delmo Stembel, born and died March 12, 1913, 
at Oxford, Indiana. 

(b) Byron Ralph Stembel, born Oct. 4, 1915, on the farm 
near Fowler. 

(c) Kinston LaVerne Stembel, born July 30, 1921, on the 
farm near Fowler. 

(C) Laura Bell, daughter of Jackson and Mary (Howard) 
McConnell, died in infancy and was buried in the McConnell 
cemtery, Oxford. 

(D) Hartley Howard McConnell, son of Jackson and Mary 
(Howard) McConnell, was born Dec. 19, 1858, died Jan. 20, 
1864; he was buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(E) Carrie Lavica McConnell, daughter of Jackson and 
Mary (Howard) McConnell, was born August 23, 1862; died 
June 24, 1871. 

(F) Thomas Jefferson McConnell, son of Jackson and Mary 
(Howard) McConnell, died at two years of age. 

(G) Hattie D. McConnell, daughter of Jackson and Mary 
(Howard) McConnell, was born Feb. 24, 1871; died March 24, 
1871. 

(H) George Austin McConnell, son of Jackson and Mary 
(Howard) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Sept. 29, 1872. 
Here he worked as a farmer until about 1910 when he went to 
Morocco, Ind., and worked at the Insurance business. Sept. 
14, 1914, he was married to Mrs. Minnie Mae Elliot (born in 
Chillecotho, Mo., Nov. 1, 1871) ; they at once came to Oxford 
where they resided several years. Later they moved to Lafay¬ 
ette, Ind., where he has been employed in the Ross Gear & Tool 
Company’s shop and where they still reside. 


68 


the McConnell family history 


(6) John Franklin McConnell, son of David and Polly 
(Moore) McConnell, was born on a farm at Pond Grove, War¬ 
ren county, Ind., Oct. 26, 1831. In 1835, as a small child, he came 
to Benton county with his parents, settling at White Oak Grove 
(Oxford), and he remained with them until he was thirty-one 
years of age. 

May 28, 1862, he was married to Lucelia Elinor Menefee. 
For eleven years they lived in Oxford, then bought and moved 
to a farm in Center township near Atkinson Station. Here they 
lived until 1902 when they retired from active labor and came 
to Oxford to live. 

March 8, 1906, Mrs. McConnell died of acute croup and 
after that time Mr. McConnell made his home with his daughter, 
Lulu. It was chiefly due to his earnest and persistent effort 
that the walk was made to the Justus cemetery, and that that 
cemetery was incorporated and improved. 

As a child Mr. McConnell was baptised by an itinerant min¬ 
ister of the gospel, and later he became a member of the Pres¬ 
byterian church at Oxford. 

Mr. McConnell was the last of the third generation of the 
McConnell family as we know it and he was a staunch Demo¬ 
crat ; he lived longer in Benton county than any other person— 
his span of life at this place extending over eighty-three years. 

His death occurred May 11, 1923, at Oxford, Ind., as the 
result of the infirmities of age; the funeral service was conducted 
from the Presbyterian church, and interment made beside his 
wife in the Justus cemetery, Oxford. 

To J. Franklin and Elinor Menefee McConnell were born 
twelve children as follows: 

(A) Etta May Blanchfill-Spann was born in Oxford, Ind., 
April 28, 1863. She was married Sept. 11, 1883, to James 
Blanchfill, son of Judge David McConnell’s second wife. For 
a while they resided in Oxford, living in the old McConnell 
home, and Mr. Blanchfill was engaged in raising race horses. 
Later they moved to Vienna, Ill., taking the widow of David 
McConnel with them, and there she died and was buried. There 
too Mr. Blanchfill died May 15, 1891, and was buried. 

May 8, 1893, Etta was again married, this time to William 
A. Spann, a lawyer of Vienna, Ill. 


the McConnell family history 


69 


Mrs. Blanchfiirs death occurred at Vienna, Ill., Oct. 28, 
1909, and interment was made there. 

Three children were born to Etta and James Blanchfill, as 
follows: 

(i) Georgia (Blanchfill) Gillespie, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
Nov. 26, 1884. She was married Sept. 11, 1907, to Thomas Gilles¬ 
pie, a lawyer, and they reside at Springfield, Ill. To them one 
child, 

(a) Alice Gillespie, was born Sept. 15, 1908. 

(ii) Frank Blanchfill, was born in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 25, 
1886. 

(iii) Alice (Blanchfill) Lorton, was born at Vienna, Ill., 
Dec. 20, 1890; she was married to Frank Lorton, Sept. 10, 1910, 
and they reside at St. Louis, Mo., where Mr. Lorton is a city 
salesman for the Swift Packing Co. of St. Louis. 

(B) Elgin McConnell, son of J. Franklin and Elinor (Men- 
efee) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., July 6, 1865. He was 
married to Josephine Wattles June 19, 1895, her death occurring 
after a long illness, Dec. 28, 1906. 

March 21, 1913, he was married to Mrs. Carrie Gaines. They 
reside at Chase, Ind., where Mr. McConnell is agent for the 
Nickle Plate R. R. Aside from a few years of farming he has 
been employed almost entirely as agent and telegraph operator, 
having spent many years in that capacity for the old L. E. & W. 
R. R. Co. at Oxford. 

To Elgin and Carrie Gaines McConnell, has been born one 
child, 

(i) Elgin Franklin McConnell, born Oct. 26, 1915. 

(C) Lulu Hazel McConnell, daughter of J. Franklin and 
Elinor (Menefee) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., May 
25, 1867. She received her schooling at Oxford and at Mrs. 
Blaker’s Teachers College at Indianapolis. “Miss Lulu,” as she 
is best known, has been a teacher for thirty-three years, thirty 
of these years having been spent in the Oxford schools. She has 
not only built for herself a reputation as a splendid primary 
teacher, but a monument of love as well, in the hearts of her 
many pupils. She is still teaching the Oxford first grade, and 
resides in her own home. For many years she cared for and 


70 


the McConnell family history 


comforted her aged father and was both daughter and mother 
to him. 

(D) Chrissie McConnell, daughter of J. Franklin and Elinor 
McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 10, 1869; died Oct. 
3, 1870, and is buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(E) Alice McConnell, daughter of J. Franklin and Elinor 
McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., March 28, 1871, and died 
on the farm near Atkinson of diabetis June 27, 1890. She was 
buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(F) Victor McConnell, son of J. Franklin and Elinor Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Oxford, Ind., May 12, 1873. When he was 
six weeks old his parents moved to the farm in Center township, 
and there he grew to manhood. For several years he was a tele¬ 
graph operator for the L. E. & W. R. R. Co., but since his mar¬ 
riage to Mrs. Ima (Crosson) Richards, April 8, 1908, he has 
lived on and worked the home farm. 

(G) Ernest McConnell, son of J. Franklin and Elinor Mc¬ 
Connell, was born on the farm July 12, 1875; died there May 
10, 1893, and is buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(H) Vivian Grames, daughter of J. Franklin and Elinor 
McConnell, was born on the farm near Atkinson, Ind., July 30, 
1877. She attended the township and Oxford schools, and for a 
number of years was employed in the Bank of Oxford. She was 
married Aug. 11, 1911, to Britton Grames. In the spring of 
1913 they bought and moved to a farm near Dorset, Ohio, and 
remained there until 1920, when, on account of Mrs. Grames’ 
ill health due to rheumatism, they returned to Oxford. Mr. 
Grames at present has a barber shop at Tab, Ind. 

Two children were born to Vivian and Britton Grames, 

(i) Franklin Harold Grames, born July 26, at Dorset, Ohio; 
died July 27, 1914, and is buried at Dorset. 

(ii) Beatrice Grames, was born at Dorset, Ohio, May 26, 
1917. 

(I) Raymond McConnell, son of J. Franklin and Elinor 
McConnell, was born on the farm near Atkinson, Ind., Dec. 3, 
1879. He graduated from the Oxford high school in 1899 and 
later from the Indiana Law school at Indianapolis. He began 
his practice of law at Poplar Bluffs, Mo., where, for a time, he 


the McConnell family history 


71 


served as city judge. At Poplar Bluffs he met, and married 
Edna Starkey Nov. 14, 1908. Later they moved to Birming¬ 
ham, Ala., which is their present home. 

To Ray and Edna McConnell has been born one child, 

(i) Vivian McConnell, born at Poplar Bluffs, Mo., Sept. 
25, 1909. 

(J) Roy David McConnell, son of J. Franklin and Elinor 
McConnell, was born near Atkinson, Ind., April 13, 1882. He 
graduated from the Oxford high school, and has ever since been 
employed as a telegraph operator, first at Templeton, Ind., and 
now at Rankin, Illinois. March 13, 1915, Roy was married to 
Frances Elizabeth Ladd, and they have since their marriage 
resided at Rankin. 

(K) Beatrice Jeanette Parker, daughter of J. Franklin and 
Elinor McConnell, was born near Atkinson, Ind., June 4, 1885. 
She graduated from the Oxford high school in 1903, and, show¬ 
ing a talent for music in a marked degree her studies were con¬ 
tinued along that line at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. 
She taught piano for about fifteen years, and was one of the best 
musicians of which Oxford has ever boasted. 

November 26, 1912, she was married to Dr. Garner Parker, 
and they made their home in Hazzard, Neb. 

Death came to her suddenly at her home in Oxford, June 
8, 1919, after a long struggle with diabetes. Her funeral service 
was held in the Presbyterian church, where she was long the 
faithful organist, and interment was made in the Justus cemetery 
beside her mother. 

One child was born to Beatrice, 

(i) Elinor Parker, born Dec. 19, 1913, at Oxford, Ind. Died 
in infancy. 

(L) Irma Adams, daughter of J. Franklin and Elinor Mc¬ 
Connell, was born near Atkinson, Ind., Dec. 1, 1887. She grad¬ 
uated from the Oxford high school in 1905 and taught school for 
two years. At the end of that time she was married, July 26, 
1909, to Harry S. Adams of Tipton. They have lived at various 
places, but are now living in Indianapolis. Mr. Adams working 
out from that city as a traveling salesman. 

Mrs. Adams is an expert tennis player; she plays annually 
in the tournaments and has many trophies to her credit. 

To Irma and Harry Adams one child, 


72 


the McConnell family history 


(i) Muriel Adams, was born May 25, 1911, at Mounds, Ill., 
she lives in Indianapolis and attends School No. 45. 

(7) Mary Jane Ferguson, daughter of David and Polly 
(Moore) McConnell, was born near Pond Grove, Warren county, 
Indiana, Aug. 8, 1833. With her parents she came to White Oak 
Grove (Oxford), Benton county. When she grew to woman¬ 
hood she was married about 1853 to Joseph Ferguson; for a time 
they lived east of town on a farm then known as “The Pines.” 
Later they came to Oxford where Mr. Ferguson worked at the 
carpenter trade. It was here his death occurred May 19, 1863, 
and Mary was left to care for her three little daughters, Emma, 
Sadie and Lucy. At various times she conducted a millinery 
shop and greenhouse and managed in these ways to rear and 
educate her little family. 

For many years after her husband’s death she made her 
home at Sheridan, Ind., and it was there her death occurred 
March 10, 1911, as the result of paralysis. Her body was brought 
back to her early home town, her funeral service conducted from 
the Presbyterian chuch and interment made in the Justus ceme¬ 
tery beside her husband. Following are the children of Mary 
and Joseph Ferguson: 

(A) Mary Emma McGilvrey, daughter of Mary and Joseph 
Ferguson, was born in Oxford, Ind., March 9, 1855, and was mar¬ 
ried July 9, 1873, to James McGilvrey, a carpenter. They started 
housekeeping at Rossville, Ind., but in 1888, they moved to La¬ 
fayette, Ind., where they have since resided. To them were born 
four children, as follows: 

(i) Grace Spencer, daughter of Emma and Joseph McGil¬ 
vrey, was born in Rossville, Ind., Aug. 19, 1876. August 18, 
1898, at Lafayette, Ind., she was married to Claud Spencer of 
Sheridan, Ind., and there they started their home, but later 
moved to Indianapolis. To them were born the following chil¬ 
dren : 

(a) Harry E. Spencer, born October 20, 1899; died of tuber¬ 
culosis April 5, 1918, aged nineteen years. 

(b) Katherine (Spencer) Richart, was born July 18, 1901 ; 
educated at Indianapolis, Ind.; was married September 2, 1921, 
to Theodore W. Richart. They are the parents of one child, 

.(i) Theodore Richart Jr., born Tune 27, 1922. 


the McConnell family history 


73 


(c) Marie Spencer, was born Sept. 30, 1903. 

(d) James Spencer, born October 5, 1905. 

(e) Irene Spencer, born Sept. 27, 1908. 

(f) Mary Emma Spencer, born December 13, 1910; died 
July 1, 1911. 

(g) Elizabeth Spencer, born Jan. 2, 1914. 

(h) Mary Anna Spencer, born June 11, 1916; died April 7, 
1919. 

(ii) Bessie Bell Gifford, daughter of Emma and James Mc- 
Gilvrey, was born in Rossville, Ind., Oct. 6, 1878. She was mar¬ 
ried to Albert A. Gifford of Sheridan, Ind., Dec. 16, 1899. Mr. 
Gifford went to the Klondike country, Alaska, during the “gold 
rush,” and while there contracted a deep cold which terminated 
in pulmonary tuberculosis from which he died Sept. 16, 1900. He 
is buried in the Little Eagle cemetery, Hamilton county. Bessie 
cared for her husband during his illness and in this manner con¬ 
tracted tuberculosis from which her death resulted at the home 
of her parents in Lafayette, June 25, 1906; burial was made in the 
Springvale cemetery, Lafayette. To Bessie and Albert Gifford 
was born one child, 

(a) Genevieve (Gifford) Brelsford. She was born July 
1, 1900; she was reared by her grandparents, Emma and James 
McGilvrey, and graduated from the Jefferson high school, La¬ 
fayette. July 6, 1921, she was married to Merle D. Brelsford, an 
electrician, and they reside at Lafayette. 

(iii) Edward Joseph McGilvrey, son of Emma and James 
McGilvrey, was born Sept. 11, 1880; died February 22, 1883. 

(iv) Josephine L. Rentschler, daughter of Emma and James 
McGilvrey, was born in Rossville, Ind., June 2, 1886, and received 
her education in the Lafayette schools. She was married June 
9, 1915, to Fred J. Rentschler, a machinist, and they reside at 
Lafayette, Ind. 

(B) Sarah McConnell Scott, daughter of Mary and Jo¬ 
seph Ferguson, was born at Oxford, Ind., June 3, 1857. She 
attended the Oxford Academy and then taught school in and 
near Oxford for several years. August 1, 1878, she was married 
to William A. Scott, at Oxford, but they started their home at 
Sheridan, Ind. In 1880, the family moved to Ford, Ky., where 


74 


the McConnell family history 


Mr. Scott was engaged in the mercantile business. In 1890 
they returned to Sheridan, and in 1905 went to Indianapolis to 
live. In 1918, while they were visiting their son, Harry, at 
Portland, Ore., Mr. Scott suffered a stroke of apoplexy from 
which he died. He was buried in Rose City cemetery, Portland. 
Since his death Sarah (Sadie) has made her home in Indianap¬ 
olis with her daughter, Mayme. 

To Sadie and Will Scott were born two children as follows: 

(i) Harry B. Scott, was born at Sheridan, Ind., Feb. 7, 
1882. He received his grade and high school education at Sheri¬ 
dan, Ind. Dec. 1, 1902, he was married to Grace Scott in In¬ 
dianapolis, and there they lived for ten years. In 1913 with his 
family he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he still resides and 
is engaged in the drapery business. To Harry B. and Grace 
Scott have been born two children, 

(a) Helen Genevieve Scott, born November 1, 1906, in In¬ 
dianapolis, Ind. 

(b) Howard William Scott, was born in Indianapolis, Ind., 
June 20, 1908, and, with his sister, Helen Genevieve, resides with 
his parents in Portland, Ore. 

(ii) Mary Emma Padget, was born at Sheridan, Ind., June 
5, 1884. Was graduated from the Sheridan high school, and was 
married in Indianapolis, June 18, 1912, to Chas. Padget. They 
first made their home in Terre Plaute, but in 1915 moved to In¬ 
dianapolis where Mr. Padget is engaged in the architectural 
business. To them has been born one child, 

(a) Charles Scott Padget, born in Terre Haute, Ind., June 
29, 1913. 

(C) Lucy Belle Eudaly, daughter of Mary and Joseph Fer¬ 
guson, was born at Oxford, Ind., Jan. 11, 1863. She attended 
the Oxford Academy and taught school four years, two at Otter- 
bein, Ind., and two at Sheridan, Ind. At the close of the last 
term (in 1880) she was married to Harvey Augustus Eudaly, 
who is both farmer and traveling salesman; they reside at Sheri¬ 
dan, Ind. To them were born five children as follows: 

(i) Fred O. Eudaly, was born in Oxford, Ind., July 30. 1881, 
and there he received his schooling. He was married at Spring- 
field, Ill., to Lina Woodman of Jacksonville, Ill. They resided 


the McConnell family history 


75 


at Springfield for a short time after which they moved to Sheri¬ 
dan where they now reside; he is engaged in farming and the 
mercantile business. To Fred and Lina Eudaly have been born 
two children, 

(a) Morris Eudaly, born October 8, 1909; died at birth 
and buried at Sheridan. 

(b) Thelma Eudaly, born at Sheridan, Ind., March 15, 1910. 

(ii) Bessie Marie Schmitz, daughter of Lucy and Harvey 
Eudaly, was born in Oxford, Ind., July 7, 1883. She received 
her schooling at Sheridan, Ind.; was married at Noblesville, Ind., 
to Peter Schmitz of Indianapoils, Ind. For a number of years 
they resided at Indianapolis, but at present are living in Chi¬ 
cago, Illinois. 

(iii) Fannie Fern Eudaly, died of congestion when two 
years of age at Sheridan, Ind., at which place she is buried. 

(iv) John Adolphus Eudaly, was born at Sheridan, Ind., 
May 30, 1888. There he received his schooling; he also grad¬ 
uated from the Indiana Dental College June 16, 1913. Sept. 24, 
1913, he was married to Marjorie M. Mickel of Sheridan, at that 
place. He practiced dentistry at Cayuga, Ind., Indianapolis and 
at present is located at Richmond, Ind. John and Marjorie Eu¬ 
daly are the parents of two children, 

(a) Rowenna Helene Eudaly, born at Cayuga, Ind., June 
6, 1914. 

(b) Eleanor Ann Eudaly, born at Cayuga, Ind., July 29, 1917. 

(v) Lena K. Barnholdt, daughter of Lucy and Harvey Eu¬ 
daly, was born at Sheridan, Ind., Jan. 27, 1898. Received her 
schooling at Sheridan. Was married at Crown Point, Ind., in 
1920, to Frederick W. Barnholdt, of Philadelphia, Pa. They 
resided at Sheridan for a while, but are now living at Chicago, 
Ill. Lena is the mother of two children the first by a former mar¬ 
riage ; they are: 

(a) Evelyn Marie, born at Sheridan, Ind., Jan. 2, 1915. 

(b) Reva Belle Barnholdt, born at Sheridan, Ind., Oct. 24, 

1922. 

(8) Hugh Benton McConnell, son of David and Polly 
(Moore) McConnell, was born at Pond Grove, Warren county, 
Ind., Tan. 30, 1835. As a baby he came with his parents to 


76 


the McConnell family history 


Benton county, settling at White Oak Grove (Oxford) and the 
remainder of his life was spent in and near Oxford. 

Mr. McConnell received a liberal education for that day, 
first at the school which stood where the Justus cemetery is 
now located, then at the Boynton school, southwest of town and 
later at a school located where the old Presbyterian church stood. 

October 25, 1860, he was married to Caroline Uliler of Cov¬ 
ington and to them three children were born. They lived on the 
farm all of their married life until 1906 when they came to Ox¬ 
ford to live, purchasing property near the old home where he 
grew to manhood. 

Mr. McConnell was a member of the Presbyterian church 
and a Democrat. 

Like his life his passing was peaceful; after eating a hearty 
breakfast he was sitting in his favorite chair reading the daily 
paper when he was stricken with apoplexy, and died at once. His 
death occurred Aug. 18, 1915; his funeral was conducted in the 
Presbyterian church by Rev. Gibson Wilson, a former pastor, 
and interment was made in the Justus cemetery. 

After her husband’s death Mrs. McConnell (Carrie) lived 
with her daughter, Mrs. Ella Thompson, until death claimed her 
Feb. 1, 1921. She was buried in the Justus cemetery, Oxford. 

Following are the children of Benton and Carrie McConnell: 

(A) Ella Uhler Thompson, daughter of Benton and Caro¬ 
line McConnell, was born on a farm near Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
27, 1861. After finishing her schooling she taught school for 
several years, and Dec. 27, 1881, was married to John H. Thomp¬ 
son, a soldier of the Civil War. They reside in Oxford, where 
most of their married life has been spent. They are the parents 
of three children, 

(i) Clarence Earl Thompson, born near Oxford, Ind., May 
25, 1883. He is a baker. April 29, 1917, he was married to 
Sophia Nichols of Ambia and at present they reside at Oxford. 
One child has been born to them, 

(a) Myrtle Evelyn Thompson, born May 17, 1917. 

(ii) Carrie Edna Messenger, daughter of Ella and John 
Thompson, was born near Oxford, Ind., Nov. 9, 1886. She was 
married Oct. 18, 1905, to George A. Messenger, a baker. For 


the McConnell family history 


77 


seventeen years Oxford was their home, but they moved to Fow¬ 
ler, Ind., in 1922, and still reside there. They have one child, 

(a) Edward LeRoy Messenger, born in Oxford, Ind., July 
1, 1906. 

(iii) Grace Ethel Thompson, was born near Oxford, Ind., 
July 31, 1888, and died there when eight years old. 

(B) Will A. McConnell, son of Benton and Carrie McCon¬ 
nell, was born on a farm near Oxford, Ind., Aug. 22, 1863. In 
early life he was engaged in farming, but, being a natural me¬ 
chanic, he later entered that trade, and now owns and operates 
a machine shop at Attica, Ind. 

January 19, 1887, he was married to Emma Benedict, and 
two children, Floy and Albert, were born to them. 

Emma (Benedict) McConnell died when the children were 
very small, and Will A. McConnell was then married to Miss 
Verna Epperson of Attica at which place they now reside. 

(i) Floy Agnes McConnell, and 

(ii) Albert McConnell, children of Will A. and Emma Mc¬ 
Connell were born near Oxford, Ind. Their mother died when 
they were very young, and they were cared for by their grand¬ 
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Levi Benedict, until Floy was grown to 
young womanhood. She then kept house for her father and 
brother. In April 1908, after a long illness Albert died of pul¬ 
monary tuberculosis, and three years later, March 20, 1911, the 
same disease claimed Floy as its victim; her death came at the 
home of her grandparents, Benton and Carrie McConnell and 
interment was made in the West cemetery. 

(C) Laura Mabel Dame, daughter of Benton and Carrie 
McConnell, was born on a farm one and a half miles north of 
Oxford, May 12, 1871. She attended school at Oxford and has 
always lived near or in Oxford. 

She was married to Oliver Perry Morton Dame, who was 
born near Colfax, Ind., June 10, 1862. They now reside in Ox¬ 
ford and are the parents of seven children, as follows: 

(i) Perry Arthur Dame, was born in Oxford, Ind., April 
28, 1892. He was graduated from the Oxford high school in 
1910, and from Wabash College, having specialized in chemistry. 

Before and during the World War he was employed as 
chemist in the Bureau of Mines at Pittsburgh, Pa.; this position 


78 


the McConnell family history 


he resigned to work for the Hogan Corporation Co., and he was 
located at Cleveland, Ohio. In the spring of 1921 he went to 
New York City as traveling salesman for the Creo-Dipt Co., 
and in May, 1923, was sent by that company to Kansas City, 
Mo., as sales manager over a territory of ten states. 

(ii) Harry Newton Dame, was born at Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
22, 1893. After his graduation from the Oxford high school in 
1911, he was employed as agent and telegraph operator on the 
L. E. & W. R. R. and was stationed at Saybrook, Ill., when the 
World War broke out. 

When the U. S. declared war he enlisted April 29, 1918, 
at Chicago, Ill., as a private in the Medical Corps and was as¬ 
signed to various sections. He trained in Chicago and Camp 
Stuart, Va., was promoted to Sergeant March 6, 1919, and to 
Sergeant 1. c. 1. May 24, 1919; embarked for Newport News, Va., 
Aug. 14, 1918, on the U. S. S. Paprica as a casual, and arrived at 
Brest, France, Aug. 26, 1918. Was stationed at Cosne from Sept. 
6, 1918 to Jan. 9, 1919; was then sent to Panillac where he re¬ 
mained until June 2, 1919. Sailed for the U. S. June 10, 1919, 
arriving at Philadelphia June 22, 1919. Was honorably dis¬ 
charged July 3, 1919, as Sergeant 1. c. 1. 

After spending a few months in Oxford with his parents he 
entered a business college at Indianapolis; at the end of this 
course he began working in the offices of the Armour Co., at 
Indianapolis, which position he still holds. 

(iii) Ralph Uhler Dame, was born at Oxford, Ind., Nov. 1, 
1895. He graduated from the Oxford high school in 1913, and 
when a sophomore at the Univeristy of Illinois quit school to 
join the colors in the World War. 

He had had two years training in the University Cadet 
Corps; was assigned to casual Co. 161st depot brigade, Camp 
Grant, Ill., and later transferred to Camp Sheridan, Ill.; was 
promoted to private 1. c. 1., and then to Ordnance Sergeant Feb. 
3, 1919. He left Hoboken for France May 1, 1918, on the U. 
S. S. Great Northern, and arrived at Brest, May 10, 1918. Was 
transferred to the ordnance ammunition section, first army, and 
with this unit fought in the battles of St. Michiel and Meuse- 
Argonne. 

Later he was in base hospital No. 119, at Chateroux for eye 


the McConnell family history 


79 


treatment. He sailed for the U. S. May 11, 1919, arriving at Ho¬ 
boken May 21, 1919, and was honorably discharged May 29, 
1919, as Ordnance Sergeant. 


He entered the University of Pittsburgh as a junior and 
graduated from the School of Economics in 1921. While at the 
university he began the study of law, and he graduated from 
that department in June of this year (1923). 

(iv) Hugh Dame, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 

16, 1*9 1 -7-y and^graduated from the Oxford high school in 1917. 
At the time the U. S. entered the World War he was an inspec¬ 
tor for the British government at Elwood City, Pa. He quit this 
position to enter the service, and at Fowler, Ind., Oct. 1918, be¬ 
came a private in the Tank Corps; was assigned to Co. B, 307th 
Brigade and trained at Camp Polk, Va.; was packed ready to sail 
for France when the armistice was signed; he was honorably dis¬ 
charged Jan. 5, 1919, as a private 1. c. 1. 


In the fall of 1919 he entered the University of Pittsburgh 
and graduated from the School of Economics in 1922. 

June 16, 1920, Kenneth was married to Helen Morse (also 
born and reared at Oxford), at Cincinnati, Ohio, and they have 
since made their home at Pittsburgh, Pa. For the past year he 
has been Assistant Secretary of the University Club, but he ex¬ 
pects to go in December of this year to South America where 
he will act as trade commissioner for the department of com¬ 
merce in the interest of American export business. 

(v) Orval Walter Dame, was born in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
4, 1899. He graduated from the Oxford high school in 1917 and 
was employed as a mechanic in an Oxford garage when the U. S. 
entered the World War. He entered the service Sept. 15, 1918, 
at Urbana, Ill., as a private in the S. A. T. C. and was a member 
of Co. 11, S. A. T. C. of the University of Illinois. Was honor¬ 
ably discharged Dec. 21, 1918, as a private. 

For some time thereafter he was employed as conductor on 
the Detroit Union Railway Co., Detroit. He then attended Wa¬ 
bash College during 1921-’22, and is now a student in the Uni¬ 
versity of Pittsburgh. 

(vi) Mildred Dame, was born at Oxford, Ind., Jan. 24, 1909. 
She is a junior in the Oxford high school. 


80 


the McConnell family history 


(vii) Clarence Edward Dame, was born at Oxford, Ind., 
May 1, 1912, and is in the sixth grade of the Oxford schools. 

(9) Thomas Jefferson McConnell, son of David and Polly 
(Moore) McConnell, was born at White Oak Grove (Oxford), 
Indiana, Oct. 1, 1837, at the Judge McConnell homestead. He is 
said to be the first white child born in this locality. He was 
educated in the pioneer schools of this place, and, when his 
schooling was completed, farmed the home land. 

He was married April 4, 1866, at the age of twenty-nine 
years, to Artemicia Wilmoth; for six years they remained in 
Oxford farming land owned by Mr. McConnell’s father, and 
then bought and moved to an eighty acre farm in Bolivar town¬ 
ship; the farm on which P. J. Kennedy now resides. In 1885, 
after the death of his father, they returned to Oxford and lived 
in the old family home. 

In the spring of 1890 he was elected Trustee of Oak Grove 
township, but died soon after, July 9, 1890, from the effects of 
an attack of influenza. 

Like his brother he was a Democrat; like many of his family 
he was a Presbyterian and with them he rests in the Justus 
cemetery. 

Thomas and Artemicia (Wilmoth) McConnell were the par¬ 
ents of two children, Joseph and Nettie. 

(A) Joseph Wilmoth McConnell, son of Thomas and Arte¬ 
micia McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Jan. 16, 1867. He 
attended the Oxford Academy and was, for a while employed in 
the Bank of Oxford. 

He was married Dec. 31, 1890, to Elizabeth Scott; they went 
to Colfax in 1922, but returned to Oxford the following year to 
again work in the bank. A few years later Mr. McConnell em¬ 
barked in the lumber and grain business at Pine Village where 
he remainded for five years. He again returned to Oxford and 
here, with his family, he still resides. Mr. McConnell has from 
time to time been manager of various nearby elevators, first at 
Atkinson, then at Swanington and now of the Templeton ele¬ 
vator. 

He is a member of the orders of Knights of Pythias and 
F. & A. M.; he is a Democrat and an elder in the Oxford Pres¬ 
byterian church of which he is a member. 


the McConnell family history 


81 


To Joseph Wilmoth and Elizabeth (Scott) McConnell were 
born four children, as follows: 

(i) Anita Mabel Johnson, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth 
S. McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., Oct. 17, 1891. She is a 
member of the orders of Pythian Sisters and Eastern Star, and 
of the Oxford Presbyterian church for which she was long the 
faithful organist. 

November 22, 1914, she was married to Walter Johnson 
(born Feb. 13, 1891), who is a drug clerk, and they reside at 
Oxford. 

To Anita and Walter Johnson has been born one child, 

(a) Thomas Joseph Johnson, born Nov. 23, 1920, at Ox¬ 
ford, Indiana. 

(ii) Thomas Scott McConnell, son of Joseph and Elizabeth 
(Scott) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 27, 1894. He 
graduated from the Oxford high school, attended the State Nor¬ 
mal at Terre Haute, and was a student for one year at the Chi¬ 
cago University. He taught school for a number of years, and, 
when the United States entered the World War, he rallied to the 
colors. 

He entered the first training camp at Fort Benjamin Harri¬ 
son, May 12, 1917; was transferred to Fortress Monroe, Heavy 
Artillery School June 16, 1917. Received Second Lieutenant, 
Coast Artillery Corps, Regular Army, Aug. 15, 1917. Was as¬ 
signed to Ft. Rodman, Mass. Was promoted to First Lieutenant 
Coast Artillery Corps Regular Army, Dec. 21, 1917. Was as¬ 
signed to Battery C, 66th Artillery and left for France July 
19, 1918. 

Was transferred from the 66th Artillery, January; 9, to 
Mounted Police at Brest, France, and then to Camp Athletic 
Officer, Camp Pontanezan, France. 

Ordered to U. S. A. May 12, 1919, and assigned to Fort Rod- 
man, Mass. 

Received permanent commission as First Lieutenant, Reg¬ 
ular Army, Aug. 15, 1919. Resigned commission July 4, 1920, 
a oil went to Fowler, Ind., where he still resides and is treasurer 
of the Corporation of Benton Review Printing Shop. 

Thomas was married Dec. 25, 1917, to Ruth Roby (born 
Feb. 28, 1890), and they are the parents of two children, 


82 


the McConnell family history 


(a) Thomas Roby McConnell, born May 23, 1920. 

(b) David Lee McConnell, born July 30, 1922. 

(iii) Robert Manford McConnell, son of Joseph and Eliza¬ 
beth (Scott) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., June 11, 1903. 
Was graduated from the Oxford high school and is now a junior 
at Purdue University. He is a member of the order of De Molay 
and Knights of Pythias. 

(iv) Millard Wilmoth McConnell, son of Joseph and Eliza¬ 
beth (Scott) McConnell, was born in Pine Village, Ind., Nov. 
12, 1906. Resides in Oxford with his parents and is a senior in 
the Oxford high school. He is a member of the national organ¬ 
ization of Boy Scouts. 

(B) Nettie Artemicia Colborn, daughter of Thomas J. and 
Artemicia McConnell, was born on a farm north of Templeton, 
Ind., Jan. 10, 1877. She was married Nov. 11, 1900, to John Col¬ 
born (born June 29, 1878), and they have since made their home 
in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Mr. Colborn is engaged in the 
lumber business. To them was born one child. 

(i) Geraldine Colborn, born Aug. 19, 1903. She received 
her education in the schools at Grand Rapids and now is em¬ 
ployed as bookeeper in that city. 

(10) Keziah Josephine Chancellor, tenth child of David and 
Polly (Moore) McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., at the old 
Judge McConnell homestead May 18, 1840. There she grew up 
to young womanhood, and in the spring 1865 was married to H. 
Pope Chancellor. To them were born four children: Fred 
M., Minnie R., Joseph D. and Lucy F. 

Mr. and Mrs. Chancellor resided in Oxford until 1885, when 
they moved to Vincennes, Ind. There April 16, 1888, the hus¬ 
band died and four years later (1892) she returned to Oxford, 
and resided for a while at the old home place but later moved 
closer to the center of the town. Mrs. Chancellor was a very 
fleshy woman and the last move was made that she might be 
better able to get about to see her friends and also to attend the 
Christian church of which she was a member. 

Death came to her March 13, 1906, while she was on an 
extended visit at Kokomo, Ind., to her daughter, Minnie, and 
was the result of internal cancer. Her body was brought back 
to Oxford and placed in the Justus cemetery. 


the McConnell family history 


83 


Following are accounts of her children: 

(A) Fred M. Chancellor, son of Josephine and H. Pope 
Chancellor, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 17, 1866. With his 
parents he moved to Vincennes in 1885, and there in 1892, he 
met and married Alfraetta Griffith of Petersburg, Ind. She 
died in June 1896, leaving him with one child, Catherine. In 
3902, Fred was married to Belle W. Everette at Oxford. For a 
number of years he was a teacher in the Oxford schools; later 
he did clerical work at Lafayette, Ind., and at present he is en¬ 
gaged in the grain and lumber business at Stockland, Ill. 

(i) Catherine Balderson, daughter of Fred M. and Alfraetta 
(Griffith) Chancellor, was born Feb. 26, 1895, and received her 
education in the Oxford schools. After the death of her mother 
she was cared for by her grandmother, Josie Chancellor, and 
later by her aunt, Lucy Bramblett. In June 1920, she was mar¬ 
ried to Ted A. Balderson, an architect and consulting engineer, 
and they reside at Omaha, Neb. To them has been born a 
daughter, 

(a) Helen Marie Balderson, born in Omaha, Neb., March 
21, 1923. 

(B) Minnie Rebecca Chancellor, daughter of Josephine and 
H. Pope Chancellor, was born April 13, 1868, on a farm known 
as “The Pines,” a mile northeast of Oxford. During her young 
womanhood she taught music, the piano being her chosen in¬ 
strument. April 20, 1892, she was married to her cousin, Dr. 
Samuel R. Chancellor, at Vincennes, Ind. They later moved to 
Chicago and then to Kokomo which has since been the family 
home. She died March 7, 1915, at Daytona, Florida, where she 
had gone for the benefit of her health. The body was brought 
to Oxford and laid to rest in the Justus cemetery. 

To Minnie and Dr. Samuel Chancellor were born three chil¬ 
dren as follows: 

(i) Dr. John Emmet Chancellor, was born in Chicago, 
March 11, 1893. He was graduated from a dental college and for 
a number of years practiced this profession. He was called to 
the colors to defend the Mexican border a few years ago and, 
since receiving his discharge from the army, has been an instruc¬ 
tor in a dental college at Indianapolis. He was married to Gert¬ 
rude Granson Oct. 25, 1922, and they reside at Indianapolis. 


84 


the McConnell family history 


(ii) Virginia Lucile Chancellor, was born Nov. 16, 1901, at 
Kokomo, Ind. There she received her schooling, and, since her 
mother’s death, she has looked after her father’s household. 

(iii) Josephine Elizabeth Chancellor, was born at Kokomo, 
Ind., Nov. 19, 1906. She resides there with her father and at¬ 
tends the Kokomo high school. 

(C) Joseph David Chancellor, son of Josephine and H. 
Pope Chancellor, was born on a farm two and one-half miles 
southwest of Oxford, Aug. 15, 1869. He was married to Mary 
Frances Mullock in 1890 at Vincennes, Ind. After his marriage 
he came to Oxford where he owned and operated a blacksmith 
shop. Later he moved to Fowler and entered the monument 
business; to this he later added the real estate, and the business 
grew so rapidly that a few years ago he moved to Lafayette, 
Ind., where is now his main office with the branch office at Fow¬ 
ler in charge of his son, Morse. To Joe and Mary Chancellor 
were born two children as follows: 

(i) Mildred Josephine Chancellor, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
April 1890. She received her schooling at Fowler, and now re¬ 
sides with her parents at Lafayette, Ind. 

(ii) Morse Frederick Chancellor, was born in Oxford, Ind., 
Jan. 16, 1895. He was married to Florence M. Smith in April 
1917. They have since their marriage resided at Fowler where 
Morse is a member of the J. D. Chancellor & Son Real Estate 
and Insurance Brokers. Morse and Florence Chancellor are the 
parents of one child, 

(a) Joe Vernon Chancellor, born in Hoopeston, Ill., in 
August 1918. 

(D) Lucy Fox Bramblett, daughter of Josephine and H. 
Pope Chancellor, was born in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 20, 1879. She, 
like her sister, Minnie, is musically inclined, and her little daugh¬ 
ter, Lorraine, is showing marked musical ability. December 25, 
1902, Lucy was married at her mother’s home in Oxford to 
Pleasant O. Bramblett. Pleas was for many years connected 
with Messner & Son’s dry goods store at Oxford, but in the fall 
of 1920, the family moved West, for the healthful benefit of that 
country, and settled at Mitchell, Nebraska. There Pleas is buyer 
and manager of the dry goods and ready-to-wear department 


the McConnell family history 


85 


of the Mitchell Mercantile Department Store. To Lucy and 
Pleas Bramblett have been born two children: 

(i) Chancellor Bramblett, son of Lucy and Pleas O. Bram¬ 
blett, was born in Oxford, Ind., May 1, 1905. He received his 
education at Oxford and Mitchell, Neb., graduating from the 
latter school in May 1923. Since that time he has been employed 
as computer on a government irrigation ditch in Nebraska near 
Mitchell. 

(ii) Lorraine Bramblett, was born in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 
15, 1914. She resides with her parents at Mitchell, Neb. 

(11) George Washington McConnell, son of David and 
Polly (Moore) McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., Dec. 24, 
1845; died of pneumonia March 5, 1849; he is buried in the 
Justus cemetery. 


iv. samuel McConnell 

fourth child of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was 
born in Ohio county, West Virginia, Oct. 7, 1800. With his 
parents he lived first in Ross county, Ohio, then Highland coun¬ 
ty, Ohio, and then came with the rest of his father’s family to 
Indiana in 1828. For a time he lived in Fountain county, but in 
1835 came to Benton county and bought land southwest of 
Oxford (the farm on which Michael Carr now lives). 

This neighborhood was called “Bachelor’s Point,” being thus 
named because it was settled by five unmarried McConnell 
brothers, James (a widower), Samuel, Hugh, William and 
Thomas. 

Samuel was never married; for a time his nephew, “Little 
Hugh,” and wife kept house for him, and later his brother, Hugh, 
and family cared for him. 

Samuel McConnell, besides farming, taught school; he was 
the first teacher in Benton county (1836-’37), and for a school 
house he used a deserted log cabin which stood on the present 
site of the Justus cemetery. His pupils were his nephews and 
nieces and the children of Bazil Justus. 

In the spring of 1876, Mr. McConnell went to Iowa to visit 
his sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Cochran, and while crossing the 
fields from one relative’s house to that of another March 9, 1876, 


/fui fitf. i / x 
f o (L 

ConttFcTtofi/: 


86 


I/VU4 CWtu** 

*/s~ a/ 

tf7aC 


the McConnell family history 


lift 

he was seized with heart failure and died at once. All night his 
body lay in the field until discovered the following morning by 
searching relatives who brought him back to Oxford and laid 
him to rest in the Justus cemetery. 

^ V. ELIZABETH (McConnell) COCHRAN, 




daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was born, 
about the year {#Cfl. With her parents she came to Fountain 
county, Ind., and later to Benton county. Here she met and 
carried William Cochran. After a number of years they left 
Indiana and went to Laconia, Iowa, where they lived on a farm. 
The names of the children, as remembered by the older members 
of the family, are, Mary, Hettie, Jasper, Ella and John. 

I have made repeated efforts to get information of this fam¬ 
ily and to get in communication with them but to no avail. It is 
not known what have been their fortunes, and whether they have 
died or are still living; but this is known: that “Bettie” and her 
family were very highly esteemed and dearly loved by all of 
their relatives. 


VI. ESTHER (McConnell) WATTLES, 

daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, and gen¬ 
erally known as “Hettie,” was born in Ross county, Ohio, Jan. 
25, 1803. As a young lady she came with her parents to Foun¬ 
tain county, Ind. Here two sons, Leander and Irvin McConnell, 
were born, both of whom lived at Covington, Ind., and are now 
dead and buried there. 

When her brothers and sisters came to Benton county 
Esther accompanied them here, and was married to Lebbeus 
W. Wattles, a farmer, and they lived in Warren county, Ind. 

At the time of her death they were living in Oxford in a 
house which stands where E. L. Zeis’ residence is now located. 
Mr. Wattles was away with a load of stock; Mrs. Wattles, who 
had not been well, raised herself in bed to take a drink of water, 
and sank back dead from heart failure; thus was she found. Her 
death occurred Sept. 11, 1841, and she was laid to rest with her 
mother and brothers in the Justus cemetery, Oxford. 


the McConnell family history 


87 


To Esther and Lebbeus Wattles was born one child, Bazil 
Justus, whose record follows: 

(1) Bazil Justus Wattles, son of Esther and Lebbeus W. 
Wattles, was born in Warren county, Ind., Dec. 17, 1839. When 
less than two years old his mother died, and he was cared for 
by his father and half-brothers, Aaron and John Wattles, and 
two-half sisters, Mrs. Mary (Wattles) Morgan and Mrs. Olive 
Robbins, until grown. He was married in 1863 to Sarah Gray, 
daughter of Wesley Gray, and to this union four daughters, 
Ida, Alice, Rosa and Sylvia, and three sons, John, Walter and 
Edward, were born. 

His wife died in 1890, and in 1894 he was married to Anna 
Kochel of Rainsville. She died a few years later leaving him 
with five daughters, Fern, Bessie, Drusilla, Loraine and Ruby. 
He also has twelve grandchildren and one great grandchild. 

Bazil Wattles’ death was due to heart failure, and it occur¬ 
red at the home of his son, Edward, at Ambia, Ind., Oct. 2, 1915, 
after a few hours illness. Funeral services were conducted from 
the M. E. church at Rainsville, of which he was a member, and 
burial was made in the Gray cemetery. 

Brief account of the children of Bazil Wattles follows: 

(A) Ida Hillyer, daughter of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) Wat¬ 
tles, was born in Warren county, Ind., about 1864. She was 
married Aug. 16, 1882, to George H. Hillyer, a merchant, and 
they reside at Williamsport, Ind. 

(B) Alice Boyer, daughter of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) Wat¬ 
tles, was born in Warren county, Ind.; she married Mahlon R. 
Boyer and they live at Ambia where he is engaged in the plumb¬ 
ing business. 

(C) Rosa Boyer, daughter of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) Wat¬ 
tles, was born in Warren county, Ind.; she married G. R. Boyer 
and they live on a farm near Farmington, Washington. 

(D) Sylvia Billings, daughter of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) 
Wattles, was born in Warren county, Ind. She married John 
Billings and they live on a farm near Spokane, Washington. 

(E) Edward Wattles, son of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) Wat¬ 
tles, was born in Warren county, Ind., and lived on a farm near 
Ambia after his marriage. His death occurred in August. 1915, 
as the result of an automobile accident. 


88 


the McConnell family history 


(F) John Wattles, son of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) Wattles, 
was born in Warren county, Ind., and died there in infancy. 

(G) Walter Wattles, son of Bazil and Sarah (Gray) Wat¬ 
tles, was born in Warren county, Ind., and died there at the age 
of nineteen years. 

(H) Fern McDaniel, daughter of Bazil and Anna Kochel, 
was born in Warren county, Ind.; she was married to Earl Mc¬ 
Daniel, and they lived on a farm near Boswell. She died about 
1920 of pulmonary tuberculosis; funeral services were conducted 
from the M. E. church at Oxford and interment was made in 
the West cemetery, Oxford. 

To Fern and Earl McDaniel was born one child, 

(i) Charles McDaniel, born in the spring of 1914. 

(I) Bessie Wattles, daughter of Bazil and Anna Wattles. 
No further record. 

(J) Drusilla Hoppis, daughter of Bazil and Anna Wattles, 
is married and lives near Rainsville. 

(K) Ruby Bonty, daughter of Bazil and Anna Wattles 

. 

No further record. 

(L) Loraine Hurley, daughter of Bazil and Anna Wattles. 
No further record. 


vn. william McConnell 

son of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was born in Ross 
county, Ohio, March 18, 1805. As a young man he came with 
his parents to Indiana living for a few years in Fountain county. 
Mr. McConnell was a farmer, and owned and lived on a farm 
southwest of Oxford, now owned by Ola (Wells) Smith—the 
farm on which William A. White now lives. His death occur¬ 
red Oct. 11, 1852, as the result of pneumonia, or “winter fever,” 
as it was then called, and interment was made in the McConnell 
cemetery, Oxford, near the grave of his brother, Thomas Mc¬ 
Connell. 

Mr. McConnell was married to Mary Sarient, and soon after 
his death she, with her four children, Jason, James, Martha and 
Mary, moved to Iowa and nothing further is known of them. 


the McConnell family history 


89 


viii. hugh McConnell, 

ninth child of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was born 
in Ross county, Ohio, April 20, 1807. As a young man he came 
to Fountain county, Ind., with the remainder of his father’s 
family, and, with them, he finally settled in Benton county, Ind. 

In middle life he was married to Margaret Johnston (born 
July 5, 1820), who was much his junior in years. For a time 
they stayed in Benton county and farmed; but after a time they 
moved to Iowa, where they followed the same occupation. About 
1874 they returned to Indiana, and the remainder of their lives 
was spent here. 

Upon returning to Indiana they kept house and cared for 
his bachelor brother, Samuel, until the latter’s death in 1876; 
they then purchased the farm now owned by Henry Simmons 
and lived there until Hugh’s death, which occurred October 
10, 1883. 

His wife then moved to Oxford, where she died January 3, 
1889. Both she and Hugh are buried in the Justus cemetery. 

To Hugh and Margaret McConnell were born five children, 
as follows: 

(1) Nancy Brown, daughter of Hugh and Margaret Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Benton county, Ind., Jan. 14, 1851. She 
was married to John Brown, and they made their home in Iowa. 
Eater Mrs. Brown returned to Oxford and lived for a time; after 
the death of her mother in 1889 she returned to Iowa and there, 
at Melbourne, her death occurred Nov. 16, 1918, as the result of 
a complication of disease. Mr. Brown preceded her in death, 
having passed away in 1905; both are buried in Iowa. 

To Nancy and John Brown were born three children, as 
follows: 

(A) Margaret Leonard, daughter of Nancy and John Brown, 
was born in Iowa, Feb. 22, 1872. She was married to John Leon¬ 
ard, a farmer, Dec. 23, 1891, and they resided near Fowler, Ind., 
until 1918, when Mr. Leonard was elected to the office of Sheriff 
of Benton county; after serving two terms in that office he is 
now acting as deputy sheriff. In 1918 the family moved to Fow¬ 
ler, and that is their present home. 


90 


the McConnell family history 


Margaret and John Leonard are the parents of three children, 

(i) Della Blanche Leonard, daughter of Margaret and John 
Leonard, was born near Fowler, Ind., Oct. 4, 1892; died Nov. 
16, 1892, and is buried in the Justus cemetery, Oxford. 

(ii) Emmet Roy Leonard, second child of Margaret and 
John Leonard, was born near Fowler, Ind., Dec. 23, 1893. He 
has been employed as postal clerk in the Fowler postoffice since 
1915. He was married Sept. 4, 1917, to Elizabeth Martin and 
they reside at Fowler. 

(iii) Ralph Hobert Leonard, son of Margaret and John 
Leonard, was born near Fowler, Ind., June 29, 1896. He was 
married Nov. 28, 1917, to Bessie Matthews, and they own and 
live on a farm of 180 acres near Fowler. They are the parents of 
one child, 


(a) Betty Virginia Leonard, born near Fowler, Ind., Oct. 
15, 1921. 

(B) Elwood Brown, son of Nancy and John Brown, was 
born in Iowa, March 1, 1875. For a time he lived in Benton 
county, Ind., but in young manhood went to Southern Illinois. 
There he met and married Anna Hudson; they later moved to 
Melbourne, Iowa, where occurred the death of one of their chil¬ 
dren, Charles, as the result of measles and whooping cough. The 
family is now living at Owattona, Minn. 

The following seven children were born to Elwood and 
Anna Brown: 

(1) Ralph Brown, 

(ii) Frank Brown, 

(iii) Ethel Brown, 

(iv) Mabel Brown, 

(v) Harold Brown, 

(vi) Howard Brown, 

(vii) Charles Brown. 

(C) Maud (Brown) Preston, daughter of Nancy and John 
Brown, was born in Iowa, Feb. 20, 1879. For a few years she 
lived in Benton county, Ind., with her mother, but later returned 
to Iowa, and was married at Marshalltown, Iowa, to Fred Pres¬ 
ton. Their present home is at State Center, Iowa. 

(2) Naomi Duke, daughter of Hugh and Margaret McCon¬ 
nell, was born in Benton county, Ind., about 1854. She was 


the McConnell family history 


91 


married here to Charley Duke and they moved to Iowa; she now 
lives at Mason City, Iowa. 

To Naomi and Charley Duke were born the following five 
children: 

(A) Ray Duke. 

(B) Ruby C. Duke, died Dec. 5, 1884, at Oxford, Ind., when 
two years of age, and is buried in the Justus cemetery. 

(C) Ethel Duke. 

(D) Kenneth Duke. 

(E) Grace Duke. 

(3) Samuel McConnell, son of Hugh and Margaret Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Benton county, Ind., about 1857. Like 
many of his family he was a farmer; he was married to Carrie 
Smith, and about 1903 they moved to Idaho. Later they moved 
to Oregon, where he died Nov. 10, 1918. Samuel and Carrie S. 
McConnell were the parents of one child: 

(A) Olive McConnell -. She lives in Oregon 

and has two children. 

(4) Mary L. Woodie, daughter of Hugh and Margaret Mc¬ 
Connell, was born about 1860; she was married to Elbert Woodie 
at Nevada, Iowa, and it was there that her death and burial 
occurred. 

(5) Martha M. PdcConnell, daughter of Hugh and Margaret 
McConnell, was born March 2, 1864, and died August 22, 1881, 
aged 17 years. She lies beside her parents in the Justus ceme¬ 
tery, Oxford. 





IX. MARTHA (McConnell) McDADE, 


daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was born 
in Ross county, Ohio, about the yearJJSOQ^ With her parents 
she imigrated west and located near Covington, Fountain coun¬ 
ty, Ind. There she met, and, about 1833, married James Mc- 
Dade, a native of Ireland, and a widower with one child, John. 
After a few years they followed her brothers and sisters to Ben¬ 
ton county, Ind., and located near their settlement, southwest 
of Oxford. j 

James McDade died of heart failure, and was buried in the 
Jones cemetery near Pine Village. Martha McDade also died 
of heart failure one evening while milking, and was laid to rest 
in the Jones cemetery. 

To Martha and James McDade were born four children, 
William, Mary, Samuel and Ellen. 

(1) William McDade, son of Martha and James McDade, 
was born in Fountain county, Ind., Nov. 14, 1834; he came as 
a child, with his parents, to Benton county, and lived on a farm 
southwest of Oxford. After the death of his father he assumed 
the management of the farm, and on this place he lived until 
he retired from active labor. 

January 31, 1861, he was married to Lucinda Bussell. They 
moved to Oxford in 1902 and here his death, due to leakage of the 
heart, occurred June 16, 1922. Interment was made in the West 
cemetery. 

Since his death Mrs. McDade and her daughter, Bertha, 
have made their home together. 

To William and Lucinda McDade were born five children, 
Emma, Martha, Franklin, Bertha and Bessie. Their records 
follow: 

(A) Mary Emma Johnson, daughter of William and Lu¬ 
cinda McDade, was born in Benton county, Ind., southwest of 
Oxford, Nov. 28, 1861. She was married March 22, 1883, to J. 
Wilbur Johnson, and for twenty-seven years they engaged in 
farming. About the year 1892 they purchased a farm southwest 
of Oxford, and lived there until 1910, when they moved to Ox- 


the McConnell family history 


93 


ford. Air. Johnson is now president of the State Bank of Oxford. 

To Emma and Wilbur Johnson was born one child: 

(i) Arvel F. Johnson, born near Fowler, Ind., April 27, 
1884. He was married Feb. 19, 1908, to Oral Dewey. They 
lived on his parents’ farm until October 1916, when they moved 
to Fowler, where he assumed the management of the Fowler 
Grain Co. business, in which he also has an interest. 

(B) Martha Jane Smith, daughter of William and Lucinda 
McDade, was born on a farm southwest of Oxford, Ind., Oct. 
30, 1863. Feb. 17, 1886, she was married to James B. Smith, and 
they lived on a farm 6 1-4 miles southwest of Oxford until about 
1910, when they bought property in Oxford and moved there. 
Mrs. Smith has had great physical affliction during her life, and 
it has been necessary for her to submit to many surgical opera¬ 
tions. In the autumn of 1922, Mr. and Mrs. Smith returned to 
the farm and still reside there. 

To Martha and James Smith was born one child: 

(i) Cash M. Smith was born southwest of Oxford, Jan. 25, 
1887. He was married Dec. 31, 1909, to Zella Gross, and they 
resided on his parents’ farm until the autumn of 1922, when 
they moved to Attica, Ind.; he is now employed as fireman on 
the C. A. & S. R. R. 

To Cash and Zella Smith has been born one child, 

(a) Lorene Smith, born southwest of Oxford, Feb. 13, 1911. 

(C) John Franklin McDade, son of William and Lucinda 
McDade, was born on a farm southwest of Oxford, Ind., April 
30. 1867. Feb. 22, 1893, he was married to Nettie Wattles, and 
they engaged in farming, moving to the McDade home farm 
where his parents moved to Oxford in 1902. One child was 
born to Frank and Nettie McDade, 

(i) Russell McDade, born southwest of Oxford on a farm, 
Oct. 11, 1905; he is a senior in the Oxford high school. 

(D) Florence Bertha McDade, daughter of William and 
Lucinda McDade, was born on a farm southwest of Oxford, Ind., 
March 28, 1879. December 12, 1900, she was married to Walter 
Denman, a farmer, of near Boswell, but since 1907 she has lived 
with and cared for her parents in their old age. Since her father’s 
death she and her mother make their home together. 



94 


the McConnell family history 


(E) Bessie Pearl Greenwood, daughter of William and Lu¬ 
cinda McDade, was born southwest of Oxford, Ind., Feb. 22, 
1883. She was married Oct. 5, 1904, to Albert B. Greenwood; 
they lived on a farm northwest of Oxford until February, 1922, 
when they moved to Oxford, where Mr. Greenwood is engaged 
in the real estate and insurance business in partnership with Will 
D. McConnell. 

To Bessie and Albert Greenwood has been born one child, 

(1) Lela Greenwood, born on a farm northwest of Oxford, 
Sept. 8, 1906; she is a senior in the Oxford high school. 

(2) Mary (McDade) Foster, daughter of Martha and James 
McDade, was born in Fountain county, Ind., near Covington, 
Sept. 18, 1836. When she was two years of age her parents left 
Fountain county and lived for a time in Warren county; they 
later located in Benton county, southwest of Oxford and there 
she grew to womanhood, and was married Jan. 30, 1862, to 
Enoch Foster. For a number of years they lived on a farm in 
Warren county, near West Pine Chapel, but later lived in Ben¬ 
ton county on the farm where Nye Smith now resides. When 
they retired from the farm they moved to Pine Village, Ind., and 
it was there that her life ended June 12, 1913, from leakage of 
the heart; interment was made in the Boswell cemetery. 

Mr. Foster lived until April 14, 1921, and his death due to 
heart failure, occurred at West Lebanon, Ind., at the home of 
his daughter, Emma Yarbro. Interment was made in the Boswell 
cemetery. 

To Mary and Enoch Foster were born six children, Elwood, 
Frank, Carey, Emma, Schuyler and Lucy. Their records follow: 

(A) Elwood Foster, son of Mary and Enoch Foster, was 
born in Warren county, Ind., about the year 1863. He was 
married Feb. 28, 1889, to Emma Mills, and they reside at Pine 
Village, where he is engaged in farming. Elwood and Emma 
Foster are the parents of three children, as follows: 

(i) Victor M. Foster, son of Elwood and Emma Foster, 
was born Jan. 5, 1890. Was married Oct. 29, 1919, to Aleen 
Malia, and they reside in New York City, where he is a baker. 
One child has been born to them, 

(a) Frances B. Foster, born July 31, 1920. 

(ii) Lloyd S. Foster, son of Elwood and Emma Foster, 


the McConnell family history 


95 


was born Jan. 17, 1891,and was married March 9, 1912, to Anna 
Metaker. They live on a farm near Pine Village and are the 
parents of the following four children: 

(a) Gerald Foster, born April 5, 1912; 

(b) Wallace Foster, born June 10, 1914; 

(c) James Foster, born Dec. 12, 1916; 

(d) Morris Foster, born Feb. 13, 1919. 

(iii) Bernice Foster, daughter of Elwood and Emma Foster, 
was born Feb. 14, 1893; died Sept. 1, 1906, of typhoid fever, and 
was buried in the Pine Village cemetery. 

(B) Frank Foster, son of Mary and Enoch Foster, was 
born in Warren county, Ind., about the year 1865, and was mar¬ 
ried to Augusta Glasscock; they live at Pine Village, Ind., where 
he is a carpenter. 

(C) Carey Foster, son of Mary and Enoch Foster, was 
born in Warren county, Ind., about the year 1867. He married 
Rena, Cassell, and they live at Long Beach, Cal. 

(D) Emma (Foster) Yarbro, daughter of Mary and Enoch 
Foster, was born in Warren county, Ind., Jan. 20, about 1869. 

Feb. 23, -, she was married to Charles Yarbro; for a time 

they lived at West Lebanon, but are now living on a farm near 
Pine Village. One child was born to Emma and Charles Yarbro, 

(i) Audrey Yarbro, born July 28, -, he is married to 

Pauline Sellers. 

(E) Schuyler Foster, son of Mary and Enoch Foster, and 
better known as “Dick,” was born March 20, 1871. Dec. 31, 
1922, he was married to Fannie (Mounts) McConnell, widow of 
his cousin, S. Franklin McConnell, and they make their home in 
Oxford, Ind. 

(F) Lucy Van Eaton, daughter of Mary and Enoch Foster, 
was born southwest of Oxford on a farm Oct. 17, 1873. She 
was married Feb. 16, 1902, to Danforth Van Eaton, a barber, and 
they make their home in Oxford. 

(3) Samuel McDade, son of Martha and James McDade, 
was born in Warren county, Ind., Oct. 29, 1839. With his par¬ 
ents he came to Benton county and lived on a farm southwest 
of Oxford. 

January 12, 1865, he was married to Martha Jane Buckles 
(born in Warren county, Sept. 23, 1845, and the early part of 




96 


the McConnell family history 


their married life was spent on the farm. Later he became a 
building contractor, and moved from Oxford to Indianapolis; 
thence to Oregon and finally to Pasadena, Cal., where his death 
occurred March 10, 1917, from arterio schlerosis. Interment was 
made at Pasadena. 

To Samuel and Martha Jane McDade were born four chil¬ 
dren, Eva, Laura, Louis and Herbert. Their records follow: 

(A) Eva Lillis Miller, daughter of Samuel and Martha 
McDade, was born in Benton county, Ind., Nov. 16, 1865; she 
graduated from the high school at Fowler, Ind., and attended 
County Normal Schools. October 25, 1888, at Fowler, she was 
married to Frank J. Miller, and they made their home in Oxford. 
After a time Mrs. Miller moved with her children to Indianapolis, 
and a number of years ago went to Medina, Washington, where 
she now resides. 

To Eva and Frank J. Miller were born three children as 
follows: 

(i) Ethel McDade Lang, daughter of Eva and Frank J. 
Miller, was born in Talbot, Ind., June 10, 1890. She received her 
schooling in the Oxford and Indianapolis grade school, and 
graduated from the Zionsville high school. Following this she" 
attended a private business school at Indianapolis and was a 
private secretary, stenographer and bookkeeper in Indianapolis 
and Seattle. Sept. 23, 1911, she was married in Seattle, Wash¬ 
ington, to John Lang Jr.; they reside in Seattle, where Mr. 
Lang has been employed as a salesman and price clerk for a 
wholesale firm, and is now buyer for a ship-chandlery firm. 

(ii) William Louis Miller, son of Eva and Frank J. Miller, 
was born in Indianapolis, Ind., March 20, 1892. He attended 
school at Indianapolis and Zionsville, Ind., and was married 
May 25, 1921, to Olive Louise Bayley at Seattle, Wash. He is 
employed as price clerk and sales department clerk in a whole¬ 
sale hardware store at Seattle, Wash. William L. and Olive 
Miller are the parents of one child, 

(a) Richard Louis Miller, born in Seattle, Wash., Tune 
3, 1923. 

(iii) Ruth Jane Campbell, daughter of Eva and Frank J. 
Miller, was born in Oxford, Ind., Feb. 27, 1894. She graduated 
from high school in Seattle, Wash., and for a time was stenogra- 


the McConnell family history 


97 


pher for Bradstreet Co., Seattle. May 16 ,1917, she was married 
to Arthur Eugene Campbell, an attorney and claim adjuster for 
the Hartford Accident Insurance Co., and they reside in Seat¬ 
tle. Ruth and Arthur Campbell are the parents of one child, 

(a) Robert Miller Campbell, born at Oakland, Cal., June 
16, 1921. 

(B) Laura Luella Spruhan, daughter of Samuel and Martha 
Jane McDade, was born in Benton county, Ind., Oct. 3, 1868. 
She attended the Fowler, Ind., high school, and was married in 
Indianapolis, Ind., July 18, 1894, to John Spruhan. They made 
their home at Waveland, Ind., and there her death occurred 
June 3, 1917, caused by appendicitis. Interment was made at 
that place. To Laura and John Spruhan were born two children, 
as follows: 

(i) Maynard Samuel Spruhan, son of Laura and John Spru¬ 
han, was born at Waveland, Ind., July 10, 1898. He graduated 
from the Waveland high school, and is now a cartoonist and 
clerk for an express company. 

(ii) Julia Bright Spruhan, daughter of Laura and John 
Spruhan, was born at Waveland, Ind., April 7, 1906, and is now 
in school at that place. 

(C) Louis Buckles McDade, son of Samuel and Martha 
Jane McDade, was born in Benton county, Ind., Nov. 27, 1872. 
He graduated from the Fowler high school and from the La¬ 
fayette Business College. He was then a bookeeper and is now 
a traveling salesman. July 23, 1916, he was married to Cora 
Naomi Lilly, a teacher in Pasadena, Cal., and they reside in 
that city. 

(D) Herbert James McDade, son of Samuel and Martha 
Jane McDade, was born in Benton county, Ind., Jan. 14, 1880. 
He attended school at Indianapolis and also a school of chem¬ 
istry. For some time he was a chemist, with his residence at 
Indianapolis; but about 1906, he moved to Oswego, New York, 
and later to Pasadena, Cal., where he owns and operates a dairy. 
April 7, 1904, he was married in Indianapolis to Laura Estella 
Smith and two children have been born to them, as follows: 

(i) Herbert James McDade Jr., son of Herbert and Laura 
S. McDade, was born in Indianapolis, Ind., June 12, 1905, and 
is now in high school at Pasadena, California. 


98 


the McConnell family history 


(ii) Martha Mary McDade, daughter of Herbert and Laura 
S. McDade, was born at Oswego, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1907, and is at¬ 
tending the Pasadena high school. 

(4) Martha Ellen Myers, daughter of Martha and James 
McDade, was born in Montgomery county, Ind., Aug. 20, 1840. 
With her parents she came to Benton county, Ind., and grew to 
womanhood on a farm southwest of Oxford. 

April 7, 1856, she was married to Montgomery H. Myers, 
and four years later they bought and moved to a farm in Peoria 
township, Warren county, near Ambia. There they lived until 
her death, which occurred at the birth of her son, Walter, Nov. 
7, 1876. Interment was made in the Jones cemetery. Mrs. 
Myers was a member of the Christian church and was a woman 
of splendid character. 

Mr. Myers and his daughter, Emma Felix, made their home 
together until his death, which resulted from cancer of the arm, 
April 27, 1923. He was buried with his wife in the Jones ceme¬ 
tery, Warren county. 

To Ellen and Montgomery Myers were born eleven children, 
Eva, George, Flora, Salinda, Mary, William, Martha, Perry, 
Howard, Emma and Walter. Their records follow: 

(A) Eva A. Wallace, daughter of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born on a farm in Warren county, near Ambia, Ind., 
May 8, 1860. She was married Aug. 20, 1884, to Joshua T. Wal¬ 
lace, and they reside on a small farm near Carrey Wood, Idaho. 
Nine children were born to them, and all are living except one, 
who died in infancy. They also have fourteen grandchildren. 

(B) George S. Myers, son of Ellen and Montgomery Myers, 
was born in Warren county, Ind., on a farm near Ambia, Sept. 
2, 1861. He married Bell Felix March 4, 1891, and they live on 
a farm near Colfax, Ind. They are the parents of four children, 
one of whom died in infancy. They also have six grandchildren. 

(C) Flora B. Wallace, daughter of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born on a farm in Warren county, near Ambia, Ind., 
Jan. 12, 1863. January 1885, she was married to William Wal¬ 
lace, brother to Joshua Wallace, her sister Eva’s husband. They 
live on a farm near Troy, Montana. Nine children were born 
to them, four of whom died in childhood. They have eight 
grandchildren. 


the McConnell family history 


99 


(D) Salinda A. Alexander, daughter of Ellen and Mont¬ 
gomery Myers, was born June 2, 1864, on a farm near Ambia, 
Ind. In May, 1880, she was married to Henry Alexander. She 
died in 1899, when thirty-five years of age, and Mr. Alexander 
lives on a farm near Bakersfield, Kern county, Cal. Of the eight 
children born to them six are living, and all reside in California. 
There are nine grandchildren. 

(E) Mary O. Davis, daughter of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born near Ambia, Ind., on a farm in Warren county, 
Feb. 4, 1866. Dec. 31, 1890, she was married to John D. Davis, 
and they own and live on a farm one and one-half miles south¬ 
east of Ambia. Of the two children born to them only one sur¬ 
vives, and there are two grandchildren. 

(F) William McDade Myers, son of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born near Ambia, Ind., Jan. 11, 1868. He is a bach¬ 
elor and lives on a farm near Lockford, Cal., with his brother, 
Howard. 

(G) Martha A. Foster, daughter of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born near Ambia, Ind., on a farm in Warren county, 
Sept. 9, 1869. She was married Dec. 31, 1890, to Elmer Foster, 
and they own and live on a farm near Locust Grove, Warren 
county. They have eight children, all living, and five grand¬ 
children. 

(H) Perry H. Myers, son of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born in Warren county, Ind., near Ambia, March 
18, 1871. Nov. 25, 1897, he was married to Mamie Mathews, 
and they live at Gray, Wash., where he is in the garage business. 
To Perry and Mamie Myers were born nine children, two of 
whom died in infancy, and there is one grandchild. 

(I) Howard A. Myers, son of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born Dec. 22, 1872, on a Warren county farm near 
Ambia, Ind. He was married to Lillian Felix, March, 1894, and 
they own and live on a large farm near Lockford, Cal., and 
raise poultry and turkeys extensively. His brother, William, 
lives with him. Seven children were born to Howard and Lil¬ 
lian Myers, and all are living except one daughter, who died at 
the age of twenty-two years of pulmonary tuberculosis. There 
is one grandchild. 

(J) Emma E. Felix, daughter of Ellen and Montgomery 


100 


the McConnell family history 


Myers, was born on a farm in Warren county, near Ambia, Ind., 
April 21, 1874. She was married Feb. 1, 1893, to Joseph Felix, 
brother of Lillian Felix, wife of her brother, Howard Myers. 
Two children, both living, were born to them, and there are five 
grandchildren. For the past twenty-five years Mrs. Felix lived 
with and cared for her father, until his death in April of this 
year. She lives at Ambia, where she operates a small poultry 
farm. 

(K) Walter B. Myers, son of Ellen and Montgomery 
Myers, was born Oct. 26, 1876, on a farm near Ambia, Ind. His 
mother died when he was but a few days old, and was cared for 
by his older sister. He was married June 30,-1897, to Emma 
Thomas, and they live on a farm near Gray, Wash. Walter and 
Emma Myers are the parents of five children, all of whom are 
living, and there is one grandchild. 


x. thomas McConnell 

tenth child of Hugh and Elizabeth (Jolly) McConnell, was born 
in Ross county, Ohio, April 3, 1813. As a young man he came 
from Ohio wfith his father’s family, locating first in Fountain 
county, Ind., and later in Benton county, Ind., and here the 
remainder of his life was spent. 

June 1, 1843, when thirty years of age, he was married to 
Margaret Wilkinson, and they made their home on a farm south¬ 
west of Oxford, the farm now owned by Mrs. Lena Flackerson 
of Boswell. In later years he owned and operated a saw-mill in 
Warren county, which was known throughout the county as 
“Little Mill.” 

February 17, 1852, while working at this saw-mill, Mr. Mc¬ 
Connell contracted a deep cold which terminated in pneumonia, 
resulting in his death Feb. 17, 1852, while he was yet a com¬ 
paratively young man. 

Mrs. McConnell was married two years later, Nov. 16, 1854, 
to John McDade, son by a former marriage of James McDade, 
who married Martha McConnell, her first husband’s sister. 

Her death occurred on the farm southwest of town in Tuly 


the McConnell family history 


101 


1883, and she was buried in the McConnell cemetery beside her 
first husband, Thomas McConnell. 

To Thomas and Margaret W. McConnell were born two 
sons, William H. and David McConnell. 

(1) William H. McConnell, son of Thomas L. and Mar¬ 
garet W. McConnell, was born in Benton county, Ind., Oct. 
16, 1844, and his entire life was spent in this locality. 

When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in 1863, in Co. H, 
116th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served with that regi¬ 
ment until mustered out in 1864. 

Upon returning home he farmed on shares for three years, 
and then purchased and moved to a farm of his own, which 
included a part of his father’s old homestead. Here he lived 
for thirty-four years. 

September 9, 1866, he was married to Mary Jane Jackson, 
and they became the parents of two sons, John Thomas and 
Samuel Franklin. Besides caring for their own children, they 
also reared from babyhood three granddaughters and one niece. 

In 1900 Mr. and Mrs. McConnell retired from active labor 
and moved to Oxford; here, ten years later, July 30, 1910, oc¬ 
curred her death after a lingering illness and interment was 
made in the Justus cemetery. 

Seven years later, Sept. 19, 1917, Mr. McConnell was mar¬ 
ried to Emma (Lester) Van Cleave. 

Mr. McConnell’s death occurred Sept. 24, 1918, from a com¬ 
plication of diseases, and interment was made in the Justus 
cemetery. He was an honorable and esteemed citizen; he was 
a member of the local G. A. R. Post, and was a Republican in 
politics, always taking an active part in the affairs of the party. 
On two occasions he was elected county commissioner, and was 
for a number of years trustee of Oak Grove township. 

(A) John Thomas McConnell, son of William H. and Mary 
Jane McConnell, was born in Benton county, Ind., six miles 
southwest of Oxford. 

He was married on Dec. 23, 1886, to Effie Smith, who, on 
their seventh wedding anniversary, Dec. 23, 1893, died after a 
year’s illness, leaving him with four small children, Nora, Ethel, 
Maud and Delbert. Nine years later Mr. McConnell was again 
married, this time to Bertha Deisher at Fowler, Ind. 


102 


the McConnell family history 


Prior to his death he was ill for many months; death came 
at the home of his parents in Oxford, Ind., Aug. 12, 1909. Tire 
funeral services were held at the home, conducted by Rev. 
George B. Jones of the Methodist church, and interment was 
made in the Boswell cemetery beside his first wife. 

Following are the children of Thomas and Effie S. Mc¬ 
Connell : 

(i) Nora E. Sheetz, daughter of Thomas and Effie S. Mc¬ 
Connell, was born in Benton county, Ind., Sept. 27, 1887. When 
she was six years old her mother died, and she was thereafter 
cared for by her father’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Mc¬ 
Connell. For a number of years she was employed in the Ox¬ 
ford Telephone Exchange. Sept. 21, 1916, she was married to 
Chester Sheetz, a mechanic, and they reside at Templeton, Ind. 

Mrs. Sheetz is a member of the Oxford Christian church. 

To Nora and Chester Sheetz has been born one child, 

(a) Jack Morrison Sheetz, born at Templeton, Ind., March 
5, 1919. 

(ii) Ethel May Washburn, daughter of J. Thomas and Effie 
S. McConnell, was born in Benton county, Ind., May 2, 1889. 
She was reared by her father’s parents from early childhood, and 
taught school a number of years. Mrs. Washburn graduated 
from the Oxford high school and is a member of the Christian 
church. Dec. 31, 1912, she was united in marriage with Perry 
Washburn, and they now reside near Fowler, Ind., and farm with 
his father, Bent Washburn. To Ethel and Perry Washburn has 
been born one child, 

(a) Willard Smith Washburn, born Aug. 26, 1915. 

(iii) Maud Lee Ewbank, daughter of J. Thomas and Effie 
S. McConnell, was born in Benton county, Ind., Nov. 3, 1890. 
When she was three years of age her mother died and she was 
then cared for by her father’s parents. After graduating from 
the Oxford high school she was employed as clerk in an Oxford 
dry goods store for some time. Mrs. Ewbank united with the 
Christian church early in life. 

December 2, 1913, she was married to Webster Ewbank, a 
farmer, and they have since then made their home near Wave- 
land, Ind. 


the McConnell family history 


103 


To Maud and Webster Ewbank have been born three chil¬ 
dren, as follows: 

(a) Russell McConnell Ewbank, born near Waveland, Ind., 
Jan. 31, 1916. 

(b) Carmen Maurine Ewbank, born near Waveland, Ind., 
Dec. 31, 1916. 

(c) Leland Maurice Ewbank, born near Waveland, Ind., 
Dec. 20, 1918. 

(iv) James Delbert McConnell, son of J. Thomas and Effie 
S. McConnell, was born at Oxford, Ind., March 19, 1893. His 
mother died a few months after his birth, and he was reared by 
her mother, Mrs. Schoolcraft, of Hoopeston. 

March 7, 1913, he was married to Ruth Tatherah of Ambia, 
and they reside at Champaign, Ill., where he is employed as a 
mechanic. 

Delbert and Ruth McConnell are the parents of one child, 

(a) Russell McConnell, born Sept. 7, 1913. 

(B) Samuel Franklin McConnell, son of William H. and 
Mary Jane McConnell, was born in Benton county, six miles 
southwest of Oxford, Ind., Nov. 3, 1868. He lived and worked 
on the home farm until he was married, Dec. 22, 1897, to Fannie 
M. Mounts (born near Patriot, Ind., Oct. 31, 1877). 

They went to housekeeping at the old Jackson homestead, 
and lived there until Mr. McConnell's parents moved to Oxford 
in 1900. At that time he moved to his old home place and there 
the remainder of his life was lived except for one year spent in 
Oxford, while the home was being remodeled. 

His death occurred at the Oaks Sanitarium, Oxford, Sept. 
27, 1916, following an operation for internal abscess, and inter¬ 
ment was made in the Justus cemetery. 

To Frank and Fannie McConnell were born two children, 
as follows: 

(i) Claud R. McConnell, son of Frank and Fannie Mc¬ 
Connell, was born at the old Jackson homestead southwest of 
Oxford, Ind., Aug. 16, 1900. He was married July 10, 1920, to 
Evas Perno of Boswell. They reside at Boswell, Ind., where he 
is manager of the Pure Food Co/s store. 

Claude and Evas McConnell are the parents of one child, 


104 


the McConnell family history 


(a) William Franklin McConnell, born near Walnut Grove, 

1921. 

(ii) Mary Louise McConnell, daughter of Frank and Fan¬ 
nie McConnell, was born in Oxford, Ind., July 20, 1911, and is 
now in the Oxford grade school. 

(2) David McConnell, son of Thomas L. and Margaret W. 
McConnell, was born in Benton county, Ind., about 1846. He 
married Sarah Skelton and they moved to Iowa, and there, while 
a comparatively young man, he died of pulmonary tuberculosis. 
He was buried in Iowa. Mrs. McConnell cared for her family, 
Anna, Charles, Lewis and William, until they were grown, and 
she now lives at Phillipsburg, Kansas, where two of her sons 
are located. 

Following are the children and grandchildren of David and 
Sarah S. McConnell: 

(A) Anna (McConnell) Gibbs, lives at Kanarado, Kansas. 
Her children are: 

(i) Harley Gibbs, 

(ii) Velva Gibbs. 

(B) Charles McConnell, son of David and Sarah S. Mc¬ 
Connell is employed as engineer on the C. B. & O. R. R., and 
lives at Sheridan, Wyo. His children are: 

(i) Buna McConnell, 

(ii) Vera McConnell, 

(iii) Ruby McConnell, 

(iv) Gladys McConnell, 

(v) Harold McConnell, 

(vi) Hazel McConnell. 

(C) Lewis McConnell lives at Phillipsburg, Kansas. His 
children are: 

(i) Lloyd McConnell, 

(ii) Velma McConnell. 

(D) .William McConnell lives at Phillipsburg, Kansas. His 
children are: 

(i) Vera McConnell, 

(ii) Jessie McConnell. 





























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































